The Runic Legacy
by Daniel Wesley Rydell
Summary: Claude, Carrie, and Celes arrive in Lindblum. While Claude takes Carrie on a guided tour, Celes meets a face from her past. - Part of the Clouded Horizons Storyline. -
1. Prologue 1: A time to live

**Prologue: A time to live...**__

The two stood face to face, both bearing swords. One, encrusted with gems, sparkling with power. The other, a simple blade. Both are obviously experienced with the blade, and they each size the other up, before beginning to parry.

"You've improved, I see. Still not as good as me."

"We both know that won't happen for some time, General."

The parrying goes to a new level, and the first, a young woman with long blonde hair pushes a slice off from her opponent, then moves away.

"But, it will. I promise."

"I know. You've always shown great potential."

The blonde warrior jumped into attack, and the second, another woman, with light brown hair defends easily.

"You can't attack me like that. You know better!"

"I do know better, General."

The blonde warrior quickly ducked, slicing open skin on the brown-haired warrior's legs.

"Impressive. Improvisation in the head of battle. Quick thinking, quick attack change..."

"You approve?"

"I do."

The two warriors stand away, and bow to each other in reverence; a time honored tradition between friendly combatants.

"You know..." The brown-haired warrior began.

"What is it, General?"

"There may come a point when we may keep opposing viewpoints."

"We're both here to protect this land from those who would seek to destroy it! How can it be that this viewpoint would change?" The blonde warrior asked.

"I don't know. But.. I want you to remember something."

"What is it?"

The brown-haired warrior sat down, and began to clean her blade.

"When you face me... ask yourself a question. Ask yourself, 'Do I believe this... with all of my being? Would I be less than what I am if I were to deny this?' If you can answer this question with yes... than no force in the world will kill you. Not even me."

"..And if you kill me anyway?"

"Then no grave will hold you. I promise you that."


	2. Prologue 2: A time to die

**Prologue 2: A time to die...**

_"So, do we have a deal?"_

A child, no older than sixteen, held his hand up, watching flames encircle it in fascination.

"What's in it for me?"

The other figure, a man, perhaps in his twenties or so, took the hood down on his darkened maroon cloak.

"Whatever you want. Power, money.. fame... she can give you it all."

The teenager's mouth twisted into a frown.

"I want to kill him."

The man laughed, a sound that was throaty and full... but it felt somehow wrong to the teenager's ears.

"You don't understand do you? If you agree.. you can make that silly boy your slave. Destruction is such a broad term. You can kill him in his mind long before you kill his body."

The teenager perked up at this.

"Truly?"

The man laughed again, walking over to the teenager. He took the fire encircling the teenager's hand into his, and doused it in his bare palm. He opened his palm, showing burned skin.

"Don't doubt what you can do."

Doubt crossed the teenager's face.

"Isn't this.. wrong?"

The man laughed again.

"Silly boy. Right and wrong, good and evil are such relative terms. The one who writes history decides what was wrong and what was right; who was evil may be the heroes of today. Perhaps this may be wrong to another.. but to you, it can be the most pure right."

The teenager sighed.

"All right. I'll do it."

The fire extended from his hand, singeing a corner of a pristine piece of papyrus.

"So, what do I do?"


	3. Fire and Ice: Ch I: The Beginning

**The Runic Saga**

* * *

**Part 1: Fire and Ice**

Alexandria.

A city of hopes and dreams.

The city was abuzz with activity. Merchants shouted, trying to sell their goods to the newcomers to the great city. Children ran excitedly along the cramped alleyways, joyously laughing and chattering. As the citizens of the city moved about, evening hues cloaked the city, causing a shadow across the city. The obscuration came from the castle, erected in the apex of the city. The gloom was long and drawn out, giving the shadow from the castle a feeling of separating the city into three pieces.

The castle itself was massive. Towers surrounded the castle, giving it the look of a hexagon. The inner sanctum of this barrier was another set of towers, which surrounded a massive building. The building had supports, and they surrounded the massive structure which towered above the rest of Alexandria's castle. It alone caused the piercing shadow which covered the central most part of Alexandria. It shone brightly in the daytime, standing for justice and beauty.

Over the great city, heading in towards the castle, a lone airship floated lazily. Strands of orchestral music could just barely be heard over the din of the loud fans keeping the massive ship afloat. A small child, dressed in an oversized midnight blue robe, and a large pointed hat, looked up. Though his hat hid his face, his eyes glowed with enthusiasm, and something akin to... wonder, perhaps. He began to hobble towards the castle.

At the gates of the castle, the large doors were sealed. A woman, her hair a light blonde stood rigidly near the rest of the guards. She barks some unheard order to those standing in front of the doors, and the crowd that had begun to gather pulled away. She looked up, seeing a ship on the horizon, and nodded towards it.

Inside the airship, a boy, his tail waving back and forth walked into a darkened room. He looks around, trying to peer through the darkness.

"Sure is dark in here. Wish I'd brought a light..." He grumbled quietly.

A voice pierced the darkness, startling the lad.

"Who's there? I'm armed, damn it! I'll-"

"Calm down, Blank. It's just me, Zidane."

Three figures walk out of the darkness, one igniting a light.

"Bro, you sure are late. Boss'll make mincemeat outta ya," The one, apparently named Blank said.

A second one, sounding slightly more rough, glanced at Zidane.

"Is your watch broken? You're not just late, you're later than late!"

Zidane looked over at the taller.

"Oh, like you've never been late, Claude."

The others laughed, and it echoed in the small room. Claude smirked.

"Yeah, but I don't get caught," Claude responded.

Zidane looked around the room again.

"Hey, where's the boss?"

"He ain't here yet," Another figure quietly answered.

"I figured that, Cinna. Where is he?"

"If I knew that, don't you think I'd be there, and not getting interrogated by you?"

"Actually, no. Womenfolk, and yourself can't resist my charms."

More chuckles passed around the room.

"If you're irresistible, then I'm the King of Burmecia," Claude said, his smirk still on his face.

"Well then, Your Majesty-"

Zidane was cut off, as another door was kicked in. A man, wearing something akin to to a dragon's head on his own, ran through, brandishing a sword.

"You've got to be kidding me," Zidane muttered.

"See what happens when you're late?" Claude asked, as he pulled out a bronze rapier.

Zidane pulled out a dagger, while Blank and Cinna both prepared their own weapons. The man roared, attempting to slice at Zidane. Zidane ducked, and nodded to Claude. The two ran towards the man, giving him an impossible offense to defend against. Claude sliced open the mask, causing the man underneath to fall back onto his bottom.

"That was way too easy, boss," Zidane said, slipping his dagger back into the sheath, and the 'boss' groaned.

"Easy guys! Lay off me!"

Claude looked over at the 'boss.'

"Baku. You're a wimp."

Baku glared at Claude.

"Shuddap. The point is, you gotta be prepared! Never know who could come through that door!"

Claude was going to say something, but obviously, Zidane's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"All right. Let's get this meeting underway!" Baku exclaimed. After he was sure he had everyone else's attention, he continued.

"Here's the plan. Tantalus, is going to kidnap the heir to the throne of Alexandria, Princess Garnet..."

-

"Major, the castle is ready. We can let them in," A low ranking soldier said, as she ran towards a high ranking officer standing at the gate.

"Understood, private. Let them know we'll be letting them in soon."

"Yes, Major Chere."

Celes Chere, Major in the Alexandrian Ground Forces nodded. She put two fingers in her mouth, and whistled, bringing the crowd gathered in front of her to silence.

"The doors will be open shortly. You will keep order, or you'll be forced to leave."

She nods, then steps out of the way.

"Open the doors!"

The crowd began to make it's way towards the gate, and Celes nodded.

-

"Look, if you wanna get into the castle, you're gonna need to do something for me."

A kid, no, more of a mouse, looked at a girl who was standing nervously across from him.

"All right. What is it?"

"Be my slave. Just till we get where we're going," The rat replied.

"Where are we going?" She asked him.

"I Want To Be Your Canary. In Alexandria Castle. We're going to go see it."

-

"Ladies, gentlemen. Your Royal Majesty, Queen Brahne, Your Highness, Princess Garnet.. Tantalus of Lindblum proudly presents to you 'I Want To Be Your Canary!"

Far above the cheering crowd, the two members of the royalty of Alexandria watched. One, a large woman, fat seeming to hang from every part of her body, cheered loudly. She was ugly, but she carried with her an aura of authority and power. This is Queen Brahne.

To her right, a young girl, who's beauty is a true testament to the unusual nature of genetics. Her eyes appear to be heavy, and for just a moment they close. Princess Garnet til Alexandros appears to be quite tired. But, in a completely different way.. she appeared to be... disinterested? She looks around at her surroundings for a moment. Then, she turning back to the stage her eyes close. Her breathing settles and for a few minutes, she begins to sleep.

To her right, a man, covered in shining armor looks over at the Princess. He sighs.

"Princess..." He whispers quietly.

His voice, though barely heard over the din of the excited crowd, wakes her from her slumber.

"Are you all right?"

She looks back at him.

"Yes... thank you, Steiner."

-

The play was going off without a hitch, Claude thought as he watched the others in Tantalus perform their roles perfectly. He looked up towards the balcony where Queen Brahne and Princess Garnet were sitting... and his eyebrow arched. Princess Garnet wasn't.. there? He was startled, but then calmed down. Perhaps she'd just moved. He couldn't see her, but that didn't mean she wasn't there, right?

Right.

He turned back towards the play as Blank and Zidane began to parry, attempting to create an believable fight. It was quite believable, and the crowd cheered as their blades met in air.

"We'll continue this later!" One of the two called out, as Blank ran off set. Zidane chased him, and Claude nodded, whispering to someone behind him.

"The bird has flown. Plan is underway."

-

A figure in a cloak ran towards the stairs of the upper floor of the main portion of the castle. Even though the capote's hood covered most of her face, a single tear ran down her uncovered cheek. She was upset as she ran down the stairs...

And straight into Zidane, now wearing a suit of light armor.

"Hey, don't I know you from someplace..?"

-

"Hey. Look over there, in the back."

A set of two female Alexandrian guards watched the crowds from a catwalk around the area.

"I see them. Shall we?"

"No. Let one of Steiner's bumbling idiots do the job," The other replied.

A moment passed between two knights as they watched the play once more.

"...This play isn't all that interesting."

-

Back near the balcony, General Beatrix watched over the knights supervising the outer rim of the auditorium where the Lindblum acting troupe's airship was docked. She closed her eyes for a moment, just as two figures, both dressed like the castle clowns ran towards her, and another knight

"Your Majesty!"

"We must see the Queen!"

The second knight, a male shrouded in heavy shining armor cut them off.

"Hush! Can't you see Her Highness is busy!" He exclaimed quietly, but angrily.

The female general nudged him off.

"Steiner, the crowds loud enough. She's not going to hear them anyway..."

The knight, Steiner growled.

"But.."

"Captain Steiner. I order you back to your post," Beatrix stated firmly, a fire in her eyes.

"Ma'am!" He answered, returning back to his post, a large frown on his face. His lips moved, but only the hint of a sound made it over the din of the play and the crowd. Beatrix smirked slightly.

_'Steiner... you're a fool.'_

"General! The Princess-"

"In grave trouble, the Princess is!"

-

"You have probably already guessed this..." The robed figure muttered, as she stood in front of Zidane.

"My name is Garnet til Alexandros, Princess, and heir to the throne of the province of Alexandria. Please, if you work on board this theatre ship... take me with you."

Zidane smiled.

"It's funny you should say that..."

-

"No, really. They're still standing there. I think the robed one has even looked at me once or twice. He's kinda cute... for a little guy."

The second guard looked back at the first.

"We're supposed to be on duty.. and you're checking out a kid? There's SO many things wrong with that..."

"I wasn't checking him out! I just noticed he was kinda cute. Sorta mysterious."

The second sighed loudly.

"I _SO_ want this play to be over now."

-

"Major Chere. Have Steiner or his soldiers reported in on finding the Princess?"

"Negative, ma'am," Chere replied.

"Then go. Check with our soldiers. Find her. And anyone who tries to stop you... arrest them."

"Understood, General."

"And Major?" Beatrix said.

"Be subtle."

Celes nodded, and stepped briskly away from the ledge and into the castle. She looked around, trying to ascertain where Princess Garnet could have gone. She began walking down the stairs as she thought. Something about this situation was amiss...

Perhaps she was being paranoid, she reasoned. The princess would have called for help, or the soldiers in the castle would have noticed foul activity. She turned a corner, which led outside behind the crowd viewing the theatre production. As she quietly passed along the terrace, she came to a pair of soldiers.

"Major!"

She stopped.

"What is it, ensign?"

"Over there, behind the eastern seats."

She peered over the crowd, easily seeing three figures.

"Unpaid visitors?" Celes queried.

"We think so ma'am," One of them replied.

"Then, please, oust them. I'm wondering that if you considered them unwanted.. why you didn't check their tickets earliar," Celes chided.

The first guard nodded.

"Ma'am, we were not sure."

"Understood. Just think about that in the future. Now, go."

The two saluted, then headed towards the three unwanted guests. Celes glanced around the area, for any sign of the errant Princess Garnet. She saw none, and her attention turned to the stage where three new characters had appeared. One, in a shroud, obviously playing the female lead role. The second, from earlier in the play, the funny looking one with the tail. And the third...

"Hmph. Lost much?"

Captain Adelbert Steiner was looking around, rather confused. He'd probably been duped into the play by that cheesy armor. She headed towards the stage, if only to observe. She'd save the knight from himself at some point.

But right now? It would take her some time to get to the stage... Too bad for Steiner.

-

"Father, I shant return to these lands again!"

"Cornelia, trouble me no more! This wedding is for thine own welfare, and the welfare of our peoples!"

"I refuse to care, Father! Mine happiness is more important than all of that!"

Princess and King were fighting on stage. One, dressed in a simple white cloak, the other in extravagant robes. One, the leader of a small band of thieves; The other a Princess of a nation.

"Leo! Allow me to take her hand!" Marcus screamed.

"Never! Never shall I see my daughter married to a scoundrel such as you! Never will you have her heart!"

"Then..." Marcus began, pulling out his blade.

"I'll have yours!" He said, quickly stabbing his sword out, intended for King Leo's heart...

...Instead, it found it's way into Princess Cornelia's heart. She groaned as she fell.

"Father... for..give me... Marcus... I sti..ll... love... my father..."

Her voice left her as she slumped to the ground. Marcus fell to his knees next to her.

"Oh.. what have I done! My sweet Cornelia.. will I never see thee again on this side of this cruel life? Farewell, King Leo!" Marcus said as his own blade found it's way into his chest.

"Princess!" Captain Steiner screamed...

-

"This was really great. I'm glad we made it in without getting caught," The rat from earlier mused, then turned to see two guards headed towards them.

"Looks like our luck's up! Later, fools!" He said, leaving the girl and the boy in the hat behind. They too saw the guards and began to run the only direction they could.

"Leave us alone!" The girl, Carrie Tremont exclaimed as she was chased onto stage, much to the surprise of the actors.

"Hey! Get off the stage!" Zidane yelled.

The small boy, shrouded in robes and a large hat looked up fearfully as the two Alexandrian guards came towards him. Backing up much like a mouse into a corner, he suddenly put his hands forward.

"D-don't come any closer!"

Fire flew from his hands, but instead of finding it's way towards the Alexandrian soldiers, it hit the fallen Princess. She got to her feet, screeching, then tossed the burning robe away from her.

"The jig's up! Zidane!"

"I hear you, Boss! Princess Garnet, let's get outta here!"

Steiner looked up, shocked.

"Princess! What is.."

"Steiner! Don't follow me anymore!" Garnet ordered.

The knight shook his head.

"I am afraid I cannot comply, Princess!"

He raised his blade towards the actors-turned-bandits.

"I cannot allow you to go!"

As if on cue, a knight ran onto stage.

"Captain Steiner, stop speaking, and start moving," Celes Chere said, as she raised her blade.

"I'll show you how good the Knights of Pluto aren't. Prepare yourselves!"

----

I hate this chapter. Literally and figuratively. But, it is a necessary evil, so I will deal. I feel like it started off good.. but it just didn't keep going that way. I wanted to get this chapter out of the way, and it is. Maybe I can get rid of this nasty hating of this particular part of the story.

As for new characters... so far, you've seen...

**Celes Chere - **Major in the Alexandrian Army, second in command to Beatrix. Also, a reference to Final Fantasy VI... however, the name and abilities are where the similarities end.

**Carrie Tremont - **Alexandrian native. An original character.

**Claude Belouve - **Tantalus member. An original character.

I don't want to get into more details about these characters until the next chapter is complete, as well as where this story came from.. and where it is going. And, I'm done. Review, and I'll try to get this done as soon as possible.

-DWR


	4. Fire and Ice: Ch II: Feel My Blade

**The Runic Legacy  
Part 1: Fire and Ice**

Chapter 2: Feel My Blade

* * *

**Begin. Nobuo Uematsu - Confrontation (From the Final Fantasy X OST) **

Clang.

Two blades met as Claude Belouve and Celes Chere met face to face, blade to blade. There was nothing in Celes' eyes but concentration, and in Claude's eyes. The two pushed off, and Celes sized up her opponent. As in response, Claude's blade flew out, trying to catch the knight off guard. It didn't succeed, however, as Celes rolled to the side, meeting his blade behind her. She laughed quietly.

"Not bad. But it'll take more than a bit of speed to take me out"

"That's not all I'm bringing to this battle, knight. But, this is no time to talk," Claude said, then took his blade off of hers, as she swung to meet his glare. Meanwhile, while those two rushed back into precise combat, Carrie fumbled, trying to defend herself against the assault of two Alexandrian soldiers. Her eyes held fear, as she kept moving back.

"Uhm.. Please, don't make me resort to violence..." She murmured, without any real conviction. One of the guards laughed at her, as she jumped into action... and met a fireball to the face.

"L-Leave her alone!" The mage, Vivi said as he had his hands out, preparing another spell at the two soldiers. As he saw the confusion on their faces for a moment, and this seemed to give him strength. He stepped forward, as the spell gathered in his hands.

Claude fell back under a particularly brutal strike by Celes, and Celes turned her attention to the small mage, who seemed oblivious to the knight behind him. Her lips formed a small smile, as she pointed her sword the the right, then sliced it up in the air. For a moment, the tip of the long silver blade turned almost white, but the color change was soon evident, as the blade turned blue, shimmering in brilliance. The change only lasted for a moment, as the Knight lowered her sword.

"Now, try that again, little mage..." She whispered quietly, as Vivi prepared to launch his fireball. Princess Garnet, busy fighting along Zidane caught notice of Celes' movements.

"Wait! Don't-"

Her warning went unheard as the mage's fireball flew towards the guards advancing on Carrie... and then reversed, flying into Celes' blade. The fireball coursed along the blade, and her arm, and then in the blink of an eye, it disappeared. The knight smiled, and swung her sword again, reinvigorated.

This was Runic.

Vivi, perplexed, began to prepare another spell. Celes looked at him, a look of almost disgust on her face.

"You don't learn, do you-"

Her words were cut off, as Claude jumped to his feet, running at the knight. Her concentration broken, she met his blade again, as the two began combat anew. Meanwhile, Vivi's spell smashed into the two guards, knocking one off her feet, and the other scurrying away. Vivi, satisfied, helped Carrie to her feet.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, concern in his voice for one he hadn't known existed more than an hour ago.

"I'm.. fine, I suppose. I'm just scared... I don't know how I got involved in this," she answered, fear in her voice.

"I'm sure we'll be fine. B-but.. maybe..." he started.

"What?" She questioned, looking the mage straight in his eyes.

"W-we should help them," he pointed to Claude, who'd joined Zidane and Garnet in their fight against the Alexandrian Knights Steiner and Chere. The two had since joined, and were easily fending off the three less experienced fighters.

"You're right. C'mon," Carrie said. Both of them ran, soon joining the two Tantalus members, as well as the Princess. Behind them, the crowd cheered. They thought this was part of the show, and were cheering as hits were scored on either side.

"Oh, look. Reinforcements. Good, I was getting bored..." Celes said quietly, as she prepared to attack again. She ran in, slicing the physically weak Vivi. He fell back, surprised and hurt by the slice. Carrie looked at him, and then at the knight.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" She exclaimed as she attacked the knight with her claws. Her attack was wild, but Celes anticipated her. Her foot struck out, kicking Carrie in the shin with such force that the smaller girl fell back. Steiner jumped forward, heaving his massive sword in a swing, cutting open Claude's blue muscle shirt, and black cloak to expose skin, which had also been opened by Steiner's slice. His expression turned to pain, however, as a blast of fire hit him, causing the armor he wore to heat up quickly. The smell of burning skin as the armor seared the garments under his armor and touched skin was apparent. He fell back, doing whatever he could to cool himself off; to stop the searing pain.

Celes cursed quietly as her fellow knight fell back.

"Damnit! Captain Steiner! I need help here!"

One knight down, the other was soon swarmed by the combatants. While she was able to fend off some of them, the combined toll of four attacks, and one blast of magic overwhelmed her defenses, and she fell to the ground.

**END**

"Baku! Get us out of here!" Zidane yelled.

-----

The Queen of Alexandria, Brahne looked out over the battle field that was the Tantalus' group airship, as it began to move away from the castle. She, unlike the citizens below, was not fooled by the fight. Her own knights were involved, as well as her daughter. Something was wrong, and if her knights couldn't take care of it, then she would take this matter into her own hands.

"Beatrix, have them fire the harpoons. We won't allow them to escape. Plus, send them a present," Brahne ordered.

"Of the explosive variety, Your Highness?" Beatrix queried.

"Bingo, General."

----

The Airship _'Prima Vista'_, began to move away from the castle. In response, four sets of harpoons flew at the ship, holding it only meters away from where it had docked. Then, a large ball of fire flew at the ship. It came to a stop just behind Celes and Steiner. The two knights, however, were oblivious to the bomb.

"Baku, we could use some mobility!" Claude yelled, as the battle between the knights and the theatre groups is forgotten for a moment. Steiner wasted no time, as he ran, and sliced Zidane, knocking him off his feet.

"Yo, Rust-alot! Behind you!" Zidane exclaimed, pointing to the bomb behind the pair of knights. As Steiner glared at the thief, Celes turned.

"Well. This certainly could end poorly," She quietly remarked, then turned to Steiner.

"Captain Steiner. They aren't lying."

"Nonsense! I can't believe you'd fall for such an old trick, Chere," He boldly scolded the younger knight.

"..Steiner. Listen to me, and turn around. Apparently.. we've been set up."

The older knight finally turned. Behind them, the bomb had grown to three times the size it had been when launched. Then, as if inspired by the knights, it began to shake. Claude jumped away, followed by others running for cover.

"Steiner! We must find cover!"

"It's not going to explode beh-"

His words were cut off, as Celes pushed him to the ground, covering him with her body.

"Shut up-"

The bomb shimmered to four times the original size as the _Prima Vista _began to pull away from the castle, the harpoons broken by the impossible force by the engines of the large theatre ship. Those on the ship close enough dodged inside it. Those who weren't lucky enough found themselves with very little protection as the bomb detonated, spewing napalm across the open stage of the _Prima Vista's_ stage. Those who hadn't managed to find something to hide behind were burned by the impossible temperatures of the fire.

As if oblivious to the plight of those on deck, the _Prima Vista_ kept moving, soon out of Alexandria. Then, the momentum it had gained began to drop off, as it headed towards the forests of the canyon below it. Barely visible through the misty fog, the forest looked ominous...

And the _Prima Vista_ crashed into it.

----

**Author's Notes : Attached after Chapter 3.**

DWR


	5. Fire and Ice: Ch III: Desolate Smell

**The Runic Legacy  
Part 1: Fire and Ice**

Chapter 3: The Desolate Smell of Earth

* * *

_No one could tell that this would become something bigger than all of us. No, we were just a group, haphazardly thrown together by the binds of fate. Was this our destiny? No one thought this about this. Why? Because this wasn't worthy of the question, this time. Alone, cold, scared, hungry. That's what we all were. Angry that our plan had failed so miserably. Upset that our ship was destroyed. Afraid we wouldn't leave this forest alive. Some of us were destined to leave, some of us had a greater cause. We didn't know it yet. The flames of destiny were not ignited, only the ice of uncertainty shone._

Claude Belouve, Page 13 of his own journal.

_-_

A knight will tell you that their armor, their defense must be perfect and without flaw. Only then can they defend themselves and those they've been tasked with protecting. My armor that morning was perfect, but as I awoke on the forest floor, body in agony from being thrown from the airship, and the burns I'd received from that bomb... I could feel my armor. It was no longer perfect. My emotional and physical armor had been damaged. The armor that I covered myself in was replaceable, easily so. The mental armor however... would take time. Did I realize it at that time... no. But, I was dealing with the worst damage one could ever endure. Betrayal. Alexandria... had betrayed me the second that bomb was launched. Perhaps Steiner could see past it, but I... couldn't. I didn't realize what I was feeling until much... much later. And, it was only the first in many to come...

Celes Chere, in a letter to Doctor T. Tot.

-

Celes awakened, slowly pushing herself off of the ground. She opened her mouth, spitting the soil out that had gotten in her mouth after being thrown from the _Prima Vista_. As she moved to a sitting position, her body cried out in agony. The tan coverings she had over the majority of her arms were in shambles. She took a knife from a pouch on her hip and cut them carefully off. Below them, much like most of the skin that had been exposed was blistered, burned from the bomb. Her garments, while allowing for easy movement in battle had done nothing to help her withstand the extreme heat from the fires that had spread across the stage like a virus.

She checked the sleeveless vest she wore, which matched the arm coverings. It, too was in shambles. Gripping it with a hand that was less burnt, she pulled it. The garment, normally tough, tore easily off her shoulders, leaving her with the matching tan pants and the netch-leather boots, as well as her purple undershirt. They all seemed to be in good condition, but they too would need some mending. They were repairable, but the other two objects weren't.

Slowly getting to her feet, she tested both legs and feet carefully. While pain coursed through them, she could manage. She had no doubt that her legs were in the same shape her arms were, but the pants had somehow lasted better in the flames. She looked around, and immediately spotted her blade a few feet away. As she began to walk towards it, searing pain ran through one of her shoulders, and she gritted her teeth to stop the scream that almost leaped from her lips. She needed to remain silent, to stop those animals that might be looking for a meal. In her condition, she couldn't easily face them. Not with what she thought was a dislocated shoulder.

Removing a piece of loose bark from a tree, she stuck it in her mouth and bit down on it as hard as she could. Then, she jerked the offending shoulder, wrenching it back into socket. Tears streamed down her face, but once again she managed to avoid the guttural scream that should have accompanied the action she just undertook. She spit the bark out, and allowed herself a moment of rest. Exhaustion took over, and her eyes closed. She was physically and mentally exhausted, and this was beginning to catch up with her. She leaned against the tree for a moment, then her eyes flew open.

There was a time and place for rest, and this wasn't it.

She walked over, and picked up her sword. Glancing around, she realized she was missing the sheath, but that was of little consequence. She idly wondered what happened to the sheath though, hypothesizing that it might have fallen from the ship, or was destroyed by the fire. Either possibility was likely, but in the long run, irrelevant. Keeping her sword in her hand, out of her way but at the ready, she looked up towards the sky.

Because of the Mist that had inhabited the lower altitudes for over twenty years, few people spent a great deal of time in them. The only exceptions to this rule were the Burmecians, and those daring enough to risk it. The Mist sparked the aggressive tendencies in living creatures. While it was less-so in humans and humanoids, to the point where it was almost non-existent, it was very true for the animals who made their home in it. While some were almost unaffected, many became extremely violent, attacking those who even glanced in a direction of their territory. Some new species had 'spawned' in the Mist in this time as well. All in all, the Mist was a dangerous place to be.

But in the Mist, it was worse to be in the Evil Forest. The forest spanned about fifteen kilometers from the plateau, only broken by a lake which was formed from the waterfalls flowing directly from the capital of Alexandria. The forest was surrounded by rumors... stories if you will, that gave it an almost epic level of fear-inspiring awe. Most of them said that once you entered the forest, you couldn't leave it; that it kept you from escaping.

Celes chose not to believe those rumors for two reasons. One, she'd asked herself the question 'If no one escapes, how do you know no one escapes?'. The second was primarily different. If she was indeed stuck here, she would live here, probably to die an early death. And she had a very strong urge to live.

Focusing her attention back on the sky, or what she could see of it. Smoke was coming from someplace, but it blended well with the Mist. This made it difficult to decipher where it was coming from. She listened carefully, trying to locate anyone. But she could hear nothing over the sounds of the forest. For some reason.. this disturbed her more than if she could hear nothing. She leaned against the tree again, and began to consider carefully.

The Prima Vista couldn't have made it far from the plateau, and she couldn't have lasted if it had landed ON the plateau, and fallen down here. The velocity that the ship was going, plus the angle at which it had gone into it wouldn't have flung her backwards, which meant by process of elimination, she would be south of the crash site. Quirking her head to the side, she again tried to hear anything that wouldn't be normal in a forest like this. Nothing came, and she quietly sighed.

Opening the pouch at her side, she pulled out a small piece of Mythril, the same metal that her blade was made partly out of. For a second, she ran her fingers across the smooth edges, then met with a jagged point, the only rough surface on the entire piece. Then, she tossed it up in the air.

Mythril, in small amounts could be used for many things. While mostly it was used in most types of weapons and armor in some capacity, people had also found creative uses for the metal that was in high quantity all over the known world. Blacksmiths used it for tending the fires that they kept, because of the heat resistance that came natural to mythril, for instance. However, one that had only been discovered in the last year or so was the slight magnetic properties that the metal possessed. With the right amount of pull, it could be moved purely by magnetic. Of course, the pull was never enough to interfere with such things as swords and armors...

The world had a natural magnetic pull, to the north. It was enough to pull the pointer of the mythril piece towards the north. And in this case, it would be her salvation. As the piece landed, it swung around about 180 degrees, and then came to a stop on the ground.

"Well then. At least something's gone right," She quietly said to herself, as she picked up the mythril and placed it back in the pouch. Then, as she began to walk, she quietly murmured in the language of white magic. Healing magic began to flow over her body, and while the burns were still present, some of the pain had stopped. For now, that was enough for the Runic Knight. She began heading north, searching for anyone who might be friendly...

As she walked, thoughts began to cross her mind. Even if she found someone, who could guarantee they were friendly? Most everyone on board the ship probably wouldn't be pleased to see her, and the one who would be wouldn't be thrilled beyond belief. She wasn't worried, however. In her state, she could still easily defend herself. Half of the Tantalus crew just barely knew how to wield a blade. That one with the tail... she couldn't remember his name, seemed to have some skill, but even him she could dispatch.

She had a feeling though, in this situation? They'd see what situation they were in. And if they were all to make it out alive, they might need a friend. Perhaps...

She shook her head, and re-focused on her journey. Her own situation was troubling enough, she had no need of the thoughts that accompanied it.

-----

"Hello! I-is anyone there!" Carrie Tremont's voice cried out, as she looked around the forest that she'd woken up in.

No voice answered her, and she sighed.

"Okay. Just stay calm. Someone will find you, right? Right," She reassured herself quietly. She sat down, leaning back against a tree. Her claws were still attached to her hands, and she looked at them. Blood was trailing down the tops of her pale hands, and her stomach churned. Carefully, she removed one claw, and carefully massaged the aching hand. The blood ebbed as she massaged it, and slowly dribbled into nothingness.

Satisfied she'd done all she could, she went to work on the other claw and hand. After she'd taken care of the painful wounds, she looked down. Her short skirt was mostly in one piece, and her shirt was much the same. However, most of her skin was black, with cuts and bruises across it. She got to her feet, strapping the claws to her side. She began walking in no particular direction.

"Had to sneak into the castle... way to go, Carrie. Way to get in over your head... I'm so stupid!" She said, as she continued grumbling.

She turned a corner, and made her way through a group of large bushes. As she did, the leaves from the bushes brushed against the scratches and cuts from the crash, and caused her to yelp slightly in pain.

"Why... did this happen to me..." She said, amidst the tears that threatened to fall. She turned another corner, completely lost... and walked right into Claude Belouve.

"Who's this?" He said, peering down at her. "Perhaps... a straggler?"

She looked up at him, and tears began to roll down her face.

"I-I thought I was alone in the forest, and that I was going to die and that I'd never see anyone again, and I'm so glad to see-" She exclaimed, rambling on and on. It was obviously the fear talking. She wasn't used to being in the wilderness, Claude figured.

But then again, he wasn't much for this place himself.

"Calm down, all right? I'm here now. I'll help you get out of here. But right now, you've got to calm down. Just take some slow easy breaths," He said, trying to be reassuring. Even as she attempted the slow breathing, Claude smiled.

_'She's not bad looking.'_

Shaking away the thoughts, he listened for anything besides the quivering girl in front of him.

"We'll head north. That should get us close to the rest of the survivors," He explained quietly to her, sweeping a gaze around the area.

"B-but how do you know anyone else is alive?" She asked, her voice still shaking with the upset fear that had overtaken her.

In response, Claude looked at her, and chuckled quietly.

"You don't know these guys as well as I do. If anyone in the world could survive this? They'd be the first. Come on."

-------

**Begin: Final Fantasy 4 SNES Battle Medley (OC Remix), aneurysm**

"Let her go, you fiend!" Captain Adelbert Steiner screamed as he sliced into a monster that held within it's grasp the Princess of Alexandria. The sword cut deep, but didn't cut deep enough to free the frightened girl. He bellowed, and pulled his sword from the beast. Flabbergasted that it had stood against one of his attacks, he turned to the mage who had stumbled up behind him.

"Mage! Quickly! Attack!"

Vivi looked at Steiner, then the plant, then Steiner, then the princess. He was afraid, that much was obvious.

"O...o...oh-kay," He stuttered, and began forming a fireball in his hands. The knight nodded approvingly, as he set to work on freeing the princess once again. The assault, while making the creature scream out in pain, did nothing to help the Princess inside of it. She herself, was beating on the inside of it with a rod she had carried with her.

"Someone, please help me!"

"Princess, do not worry-"

Steiner's voice was cut off as a second blade cut into it.

"Quit talkin' and start choppin' Rusty!" Zidane yelled as his blade sunk deep into the plant's cage walls. As if in response, a tentacle whipped out and slapped both Steiner and Zidane out of striking range.

"That's not nice!" Zidane yelled as he ran in for another strike.

"Watch out!" Vivi's small voice called out as a fireball smashed into the side of the plant. Scorching layer upon layer of it's skin, it did nothign to free the Princess, and Vivi set to work once again.

"If that's what it takes, we'll do this one bit at a time!" Zidane yelled as he sliced into again, as a Steiner met him in doing the same.

"Scoundrel! It is YOUR fault she is in this predicament in the first place!" Steiner growled as his blade failed to free the Princess from the apparently impenetrable plant.

"Shut up, and help me cut this thing open!" Zidane yelled, as his blade met pay dirt, and the plant began squirting black liquid from some fluid pack, buried deep within it's skin.

"Shut up, both of you!" Celes' voice rang out, as she jumped from a ledge, bringing her blade down. The blade, coupled with the speed and strength behind it, sliced open several layers. Still, there seemed to be no freeing of the Princess.

"Glad you could join our party!" Zidane called as he rolled away from a tentacle as it attempted to pick him up.

"Always glad to-" Celes' retort was cut off as three tentacles grabbed a hold of her, then jointly tossed her against a tree. She smashed into it, causing a sickening crunch from her right shoulder. As she slid down the tree, she glared at the plant.

"Goddamnit! I just put that shoulder back into PLACE!" She screamed, as she picked up her blade again, and began to run at the plant.

Suddenly, as if inspired by the Runc Knight's words, as well as the fireball hurtling towards it courtesy of Vivi, it jumped into the trees, high above where any of them could reach. Soon, it was gone, taking Princess Garnet with it.

"Come back at once!" Steiner bellowed, though it was obvious he knew that his own words wouldn't change the course of the plant, or the events. He fell to his knees, angry and upset. Zidane looked down at the knight, but then up.

"I'd say she's all right. It looks like that was perhaps a minion or something. I'm not sure, but-"

Zidane's voice was cut off as Steiner jumped to his feet, whipped around, and unsheathed his sword. Everyone in the area was immediately on alert, with weapons at the ready.

"Woah! Rustalot! I'm not the enemy here!"

"If it hadn't been for you, the Princess would've-"

A second blade met his, bringing it away from the short thief.

"-been in more danger, you fool," Celes murmured, spitting the last word. She glared at him, keeping her eyes just above his own. "Notice how she was wearing a cloak, and she had a few supplies on her, including a defensive rod? Something tells me that she was planning on leaving anyway!"

"You don't know-"

Celes's frown turned to a scowl.

"You're right, I don't. I'm going by the evidence at hand. And you're a fool to think that in truth, a gang of thieves could kidnap the Princess out of a castle full of guards! They might have gotten to their ship, but they would've never escaped, and you should know that!" She said, then looked over at Zidane, who had a hurt expression on his face. "Sorry," she said, "No offense, of course."

"None taken," Zidane mumbled, as he turned away.

Celes turned back to Steiner, and as she began to speak again, a voice off to the side interrupted her.

"Uhm.. maybe we should be looking for her, instead of arguing?" Vivi asked.

"Agreed," Celes said, turning away from Steiner again, to look directly at Vivi. "We'll head down that path. It may lead us to-"

Any words she said at that point were drowned out as the plant thing descended once again, quickly grabbing Vivi in it's cage. Celes glared.

"Son of a-"

**END**  
-------

"Are we getting closer?" Carrie asked, as the two of them rounded a bend.

"I'm not sure," Claude said quietly, stopping to look up. Then, he smelled the air.

"What're you smellin' for?" Carrie questioned.

"Burnt wood, perhaps a burning cor-" He stopped as he saw the look on Carrie's face turn from c curiosity to nausea. "-..err.. nothing besides burning wood. Sorry," He added as an apology. Her face regained some of it's original color, and she looked up at him.

"Do you.. think what you said was true?"

Claude walked on, passing a few trees. Walking next to him, Carrie could barely see his face in the darkness. What she could see, however, was mysterious. She couldn't read it, and for some reason that worried her. Finally, his voice, quiet among the sounds of the forest reached her ears.

"No. But I'd hate not to be prepared for it."

The two walked in silence for the next few minutes, the weight of Claude's words sinking in as they went.

"Stop," Claude whispered harshly.

"What is-" Carrie started, but stopped as Claude's hand covered her mouth.

"I hear something."

Neither moved or spoke for what seemed like an eternity.

"It sounds like a battle..."

------

"Steiner! I need a distraction!"

The need for formalities had long since past, Celes Chere ran at the plant holding Vivi, sword extended in an attack posture. Steiner responded by jumping in and attacking at the side of the already bruised plant cage. However, the tough skin was still holding strong and Steiner's blade did nothing to break it. However, the plants tentacles did throw the heavily armored knight a distance, causing him to land and to skid into a tree. For the moment, he was dazed and thus, out of the battle.

Celes growled quietly. This wasn't working, and they needed a new plan fast.

"Hey, kid! Cast some of that magic!" Zidane yelled.

"O-okay," Vivi said as he began to prepare his magic. Celes nodded, then glanced over at Steiner, who was beginning to come around.

"Captain, we don't have time for this!" Her lips moved quickly in the ancient words of restorative magic. Soon, blue lights flowed over Steiner, and he looked up.

"Thank-"

"Save it! We need to help him!" She responded, motioning towards Vivi. "We need to buy him some time."

Steiner nodded, and the two knights prepared quickly for a strike.

"Are you ready, Steiner?" Celes asked quietly. Through the noise from the large plant cage, and the heightened noises around in the forest, the older knight nodded, hearing the Runic Knight clearly.

"Let's move," Celes said a moment later. She only hoped Zidane saw their plan and decided to join in.

The two knights ran in, shoulder to shoulder. As if in a moment of true clarity and companionship, the two jumped at the same time. Almost moving in one, each sliced going the exact opposite of the other, creating an almost perfect line in the plant's shell. Using the slight edge, Celes climbed up, while Steiner slid down. Then, both blades met at the center of their cuts. Then, Celes slid down, landing on Steiner's blade, then flipped off it, slicing open the upper most portion.

"That wasn't bad!" Zidane yelled.

"You could've helped!" Celes called back.

"You guys were doin' fine without me!" Zidane replied, and before Celes could respond Vivi had finished.

"Let... me... GO!" He angrily screamed, as fire flowed from his hands, torching the inside of the cage. The air filled with the smell of burnt flesh as the inside of the plant turned to dust, allowing easy access for Zidane to cut a hole in the cage. He pulled Vivi out, just as the plant gave up on life.

"Is everyone all right?" Zidane asked, as he began to clean his blade before clipping it back to his belt.

"No thanks to you-" Steiner's words were cut off as he was blasted in the face by a large cloud of mist from the dead plant. Both Zidane and Celes, being the farthest away managed to get away from the cloud, but Vivi wasn't. Both him and Steiner fell to his knees, gasping, desperately attempting to find some way to breath. Meanwhile, Vivi beside him fell face-first onto the ground, soon after followed by the ogre-ish knight.

Zidane moved forward to help the two, but Celes held him back. Picking up a snall rock, she tossed it on the plant. Nothing happened and she nodded. Zidane ran forward, easily picking up Vivi.

"C'mon, Lady Knight, the wreck's just a bit away. It won't be hard to get them back there. Someone is bound to be able to help them," He said as he turned and began walking. Then, he stopped.

"Oh yeah. You can take care of that fat lard, can't you?" Zidane asked, grinning devilishy.

Celes scowled, but Zidane's charming manner got the best of her.

"You sir, are an ass."

---

**Ah yes. It appears that I've finished two chapters. I've got this feeling excuses aren't good to give out. Stuff happened, I didn't write. More information on new characters will be divulged in the next few chapters. Trust me though, this is no FF9 walkthrough.**

-DWR


	6. Fire and Ice: Ch IV: A Requiem

**  
The Runic Legacy  
Part 1: Fire and Ice**

Chapter 4: Requiem of a Green Revolution

* * *

"We're not sendin' people out for her! We're in rough shape as is, and I'm puttin' my boys before her. It sucks, but, that's the way things are."

Baku turned away from the two standing in front of him.

"Boss!"

"I'm not budging. I can't stop the knight from going, but I can stop you from going. Either you stay, or you'll be gone from Tantalus. You're not steppin' outside this ship without the rest of us!" Baku barked.

"But, I assume I am free to search for the Princess on my own?" Celes asked, leaning against a support beam.

"No one's holdin' you back, but it ain't smart headin' out all by your lonesome out there," Baku answered.

"I don't plan on it. I'll take Captain Steiner with me when he gets well. We can handle ourselves between the two of us," Celes responded.

"If you say so," Zidane muttered, looking down.

"I do, and I'd check your tone with me. When Queen Brahne wants to know what should be done with you, if you had anything to do with the Princess leaving, you know who she's gonna ask? Not Steiner. Me," Celes retorted, as she turned away. Her steps echoed around the room as she began to exit, heading towards the room where Steiner was sleeping.

"Hey, knight," Zidane's voice called.

She turned.

"What is it?"

"What are you going to do when the Princess tells you she doesn't want to go home?" He asked.

Celes' eyes closed, as if considering his words carefully.

"My only concern is to get the Princess where she feels safe. As far as I'm concerned, she left the castle of her own volition. Until she decides to return to the castle, my concern is to keep her safe. I've failed this task once. I refuse to do so again."

----

"We're almost there," Claude said as they came around a bend. Carrie sighed in relief.

"I'll be happy to see someone else!" She exclaimed.

"Hey. Be nice. My pride can only take so many hits," He replied.

Carrie looked up to him. She'd almost forgotten that he was there, and she frowned.

"It's not that you're not great company, cause you are, but..."

"No, I understand. The more people, the better chance of our own survival, right?" Claude asked her.

"That's not the way I was thinking of it. The more people there are... the safer I'll feel if I stay here. Even if I don't know them. At least, that's the way I see it," she answered, looking around as they walked. She glanced towards him as they passed through a group of trees. "You know, I don't even know your name," She added.

"Claude Belouve. I'm a member of Tantalus, as you may have guessed. You?"

"I'm Carrie," She answered as they came within sight of the _Prima Vista_. It was still a distance away, but the sight made Carrie sigh in relief.

"Have a last name, Carrie?" Claude asked.

"Tremont. I'm from Alexandria, obviously. Or maybe it's not obvious..." Carrie answered, trailing off at the end.

_'I feel so stupid!'_

As if sensing her discomfort, Claude looked at her.

"It'll be all right, you know. We'll make it out of here, and you'll be back home with mom and pa' before you know it!" He said, smiling.

"I hope you're right."

---

"You're tellin' me what?" Baku questioned disbelievingly.

"I'm going to find her, boss. I'll take those knights with me, and anyone else who wants to come. Probably that mage," Zidane replied.

"You know there's no turnin' back. Once you do this, you're gone from Tantalus. Plus, I'll have to kick your ass."

"Sure, fine. I'm going to find her though. It'll save all of us in the long run," Zidane agreed, turning away. As he did, Baku spoke up again.

"Can't say I blame you though. She's a looker, that's for sure. You sure that's what you want to do?"

"Yeah. I'm sure. I've gotta go with my gut this time, boss."

"Right, right. Meet me in the cargo bay. We're gonna need to have a bit of space."

---

"So, how long do you plan on standin' there?"

Celes looked up to see Blank standing across from her, leaning against the bulkhead of the _Prima Vista_. She herself was leaning against a tree near the bulkhead. The vantage point it gave her was good to survey the area; to keep watch over the outside.

"It's what I do. I stand, I guard. Why? Do you have something better for me to do?" She asked, her voice clipped and irritated.

"No. Just curious is all. How long do you plan on standing there?"

"Until Captain Steiner awakens. Then, I'll head out to find the Princess. If he's not awake soon.. I may go it alone," She replied.

"That's suicide," Blank remarked nonchalantly.

"My primary duty is to protect the Kingdom of Alexandria, including those in the royalty. If the Princess dies while under my care, it is suicide," Celes stated.

"So, you're going to die either way is what you're saying?" Blank questioned.

"This is why I'm waiting for Captain Steiner. I said I would go out alone. That doesn't mean I'd rather do this alone."

Blank looked at her, his eyes sizing her up.

"And if you can't find her?"

"Then, Shiva as my witness, I'll kill everything that's anything besides human, or die trying."

"You think you can do it?"

Celes turned away, looking out into the forest.

"I sincerely hope I don't have to find out."

Two blades meeting rang from inside the ship, and Celes' attention immediately darted towards the ship.

"What..?" She asked, not needing to finish the question.

"I dunno. Let's check it out. Unless you're going to keep standing here."

Her response was non-verbal, pushing past the smirking Tantalus member.

---

Every type of weapon is accompanied by a certain style of fighting. A dagger is not controlled in the same way a broadsword is, and a pair of nunchaku are not handled in the same way as a dragoon's lance. All of these have their strengths and weaknesses, and in the correct hands, all can be powerful. But each has a certain way of fighting that works with it. For instance, it is not practical to attempt to fight with a pair of nunchaku while attempting to use the style of a short dagger. They are not compatible. Likewise, a katana does not handle like a spear or vice versa. Each person, when learning to fight realizes this, or they do not succeed in their weapon of choice.

However, there is more to it than that.

Many times, it is considered that a certain 'class' of people will fight the same way. A thief always fights with a short blade, and is always thoughtless in his battle strategy. His goal? To win by any means necessary. A knight will always take broad swings, using a large sword. The attacks will always be precise and methodical. However, as many have learned in the past, this is not always true. Anticipating that a fighting style will be one way because of the a person's background is the first step to failure.

For instance, Adelbert Steiner's attacks are always focused, however, they are all much the same. They are hard to defend against, and thus make him a formidable opponent. However, his monotone style of fighting is also a potential weakness. Beatrix's style is based on heavy attacks, but every move she makes is premeditated. She often plans many moves ahead to make sure she is one step in front of her opponent. Her style allows her to anticipate the reaction to her attacks, and often proves to be the reason she stands victorious. Celes Chere's style is often unpredictable, and thus makes her a wildcard in battle. As we can tell from these three knights, none are the same entirely. All are unique, as is every one person's fighting style.

The two thieves, Baku and Zidane met in battle. And once again, we're shown the abilities between the two are stunningly different. Baku's attacked are wild, undirected, wild. Zidane's was a smooth, oiled machine. Nothing was forced, but almost flowed with battle.

"So, that's that," Baku rumbled as he got to his feet. "A deal's a deal. You're cut loose."

Zidane smiled.

"So. That's how you all settle your differences," Celes said as she stepped in the hold, followed by Blank.

"Hey, don't go thinkin' you're all high and mighty, you..." Baku began, then stopped. "What's yer name, anyway?"

Celes turned away.

"I'm just a knight. No one of importance."

"And yet you were on stage with us?" Zidane asked.

She smirked slightly.

"I was just lucky," Celes muttered.

"C'mon," Blank pushed, and took a step closer to the knight.

"Fine. Major Celes Chere," Celes stated, then turned away.

"Daaayam boys! We got ourselves a whopper! The Runic Knight of Alexandria," Baku exclaimed.

"I'm just a knight. That's all there is to it. I just learned an ability that set me apart from the rest," She answered, and looked over at Zidane. "Where's Captain Steiner? Is he well? Can we depart?"

Zidane nodded.

"I'll get Rusty, and that mage kid. Mind if I tag along?"

"As long as you can keep up."

---

**Notes.**

**I hate the end. **

**-DWR**


	7. Fire and Ice: Ch V: Evil Forest

**The Runic Legacy  
Part 1: Fire and Ice**

Chapter 5: Evil Forest

* * *

The journey through the Evil Forest had been for the most uneventful, much to the surprise of those in Zidane's group. The very few enemies they encountered were easily dispatched by the group. Determined to find Princess Garnet, they continued on through the dark woods.

And dark they were, Celes mused as she followed in the rear of the group. No one in recorded history had entered the Evil Forest and returned to the outside world. Official Alexandrian edict stated that no one was allowed entrance into the forest under any circumstance. The forest was quarantined, and even the most foolhardy of treasure hunters and adventurers strayed away from their path to make sure they avoided the forest.

She frowned. Ironic, that it would be, that Alexandrian cannon fire had sent them into the same zone. She only hoped that they could make it out safely.

-

"We'll take a break here!" Zidane's voice called out as they came to a quiet fountain.

"Scoundrel! We cannot rest until we find the Princess! Her life is at stake!" Steiner bellowed, his voice echoing across the small opening. Those around him flinched.

"Captain, are you TRYING to alert the forest to our location?" Celes quietly asked. Steiner only glared, muttering some response to the fellow knight. Celes responded only by taking a seat on a nearby rock, leaning against a tree behind it. For a moment she grimaced, but her eyes closed soon afterward.

"H-how long will we stay here?" Vivi questioned Zidane.

"Just long enough to rest up, fill our canteens, then we'll move on from here. Ten to fifteen minutes, tops," Zidane replied. The mage nodded, and took a seat near the thief, and the two began to talk quietly. Steiner looked at the two, glaring more so at the thief then at the mage, but began to clean his blade. As he did, suddenly his eyes darted across the clearing.

"Something's coming!" He whispered hoarsely.

His words, while quiet, were easily heard by the group, and soon all were ready to attack anything that might come their direction. The brush parted a moment later, to reveal a frightened young woman. She saw the group ready to attack, and screamed. A hand touched her shoulder, and turned her around.

"You guys want to put those away? We're not gonna kill you," Claude commented matter-of-factly as he got the young Carrie calmed down.

"Hehe.. uhm.. sorry buddy," Zidane answered nervously, putting his blade away. "What are you doing here, Claude? I'm sure the boss woulda told you to stay with the rest of Tantalus."

"I had to get this girl out of here. Boss told me to. He's gonna get the rest of the guys out of the forest somehow. He told me to catch up with you, and keep an eye on you. I'll take off once you got the princess and the rest of your troupe out of here. Unless, of course, we're all headin' the same direction." Claude answered. He looked up, then leaped onto a large branch, giving him a better view of the area. "So, where are you headed?"

"If we find her, we'll head to Lindblum-" Zidane started, but then Steiner's loud voice interrupted him.

"We're taking the Princess back to Alexandria, you fiend. She never would be in this situation if it hadn't been for you!"

Celes, who'd taken a seat back on the rock, stretched slowly. Her eyes remained closed.

"Haven't we gone over this, Captain Steiner?"

"Must you be so condescending to me, Major Chere?"

"You're being moronic. Perhaps the two of us could find the Princess, but as you learned in the military, there is always strength in unified numbers. If you want to fight these people, perhaps the best time is not now? Perhaps you should focus on.. what's the term I'm looking for... your duty?"

Steiner growled.

"Why must you be so damnably logical!"

Her sweet, yet slightly guarded smile took him slightly off guard.

"I am woman. Hear me roar."

-

Soon after the dispute was settled (for the time being, anyway) the group headed off into the forest once again. Zidane was in the lead, followed by a suspicious looking Steiner. His lips were curled into a deep frown and his eyes narrowed. However, even in their narrowed state, his eyes darted constantly, remaining vigil for sudden attack.

Behind him, Vivi followed. His steps were somewhat unbalanced, but his eyes bore curiosity. It was almost as if he didn't realize the amount of danger that the group was in, or that he felt comfortable with the group that he was traveling with. His eyes also moved about, but almost as if taking in every detail of the world around him. The staff he carried in his hand served as a walking stick, and he almost seemed serene.

Claude and Carrie followed closely behind the mage. The two carried on a quiet conversation, Claude's voice seeming to carry reassurance for the younger girl. Carrie herself looked white. She was obviously afraid, and the quickly darkening woods, and the louder noises that began to crop around them were not helping. For her part though, she did manage to keep from screaming.

Celes led the back of the group, her blue eyes fixed in place ahead of the group. Her stance was defensive and rigid, almost as if she expected an attack to come at any second. Her blade remained unsheathed, and for a moment, she grimaced. She sheathed her blade as she walked, and rubbed her shoulder.

"Are you all right?"

A voice took Celes out of her almost trance-like readiness.

"I'm fine."

"You keep touching your shoulder. Did you injure it?" Carrie asked.

"I had to wrench it back in it's socket after the fall from the theatre ship."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Carrie answered.

"It's fine. I've hurt myself worse before. It's just tender is all," Celes stated, then didn't speak again. Carrie understood her silence, and moved back to talking to Claude.

"She isn't very talkative," She murmured.

"What do you expect? She's a knight. They're not made for talking," Claude told her, but the smile never left his face.

"Then, what are they made for?" Carrie asked.

"Hm. Loungin' around. Showing up when dignitaries are in town. Besides that, they're useless," Claude joked, and the slightly chuckle behind them let them know they'd been heard.

"Once in a while, we get to go outside and play, too," Celes muttered. Her slight smile caused Carrie to begin to giggle, and Claude chuckled quietly.

"Heads up. I think there's somethin' big ahead. If she's here, I'll bet everything she's near here. Let's go!" Zidane exclaimed, then began to run ahead. The rest soon began to catch him, just as the entered a large tree.

"What the..."

Inside was a plant much like the one that had taken the Princess. However, it was much much bigger than the previous. The numerous tentacles were either attached to the tree, or swinging around lazily. The membranes just inside it's skin put out a foul smell, and the prison in it's belly was surrounded by a strange netting, which pulsed with a strange glowing fluid. Inside the prison was Princess Garnet til Alexandros.

"I think we might have found Mommy dearest," Claude commented quietly.

-

**Author's notes.**

**The first chapter that I've really liked through and through. The next chapter, we break out of the Evil Forest, hereto referred to as my own personal hell.**

**Next chapter to follow.**


	8. Fire and Ice: Ch VI: Clocks

**The Runic Legacy  
Part 1: Fire and Ice**

Chapter V: Clocks

* * *

_It was disgusting. I'd seen some gross stuff before, but that .. plant... thing was the most disgusting thing I'd seen up to that point in my life. Sure, I was to see some heartbreaking things, and experience worse, but that moment I almost lost my breakfast from that morning. How could something like this exist? Is this thing why this place is called Evil's Forest? I remember being afraid, even more so than before. _

_But nothing compares to the beating we gave that thing..._

_Carrie Tremont, in a letter written to Claude Belouve._

_-_

"That was certainly... bracing," Steiner muttered as he cleaned plant gunk from his blade. Then, he sheathed the blade and walked over to the now freed, but still unconscious Princess Garnet.

"Blank. Toss me the stuff!" Zidane yelled, then caught a brown bottle as it flew across to him.

"You're not giving her that poison, fiend!" Steiner said, blocking Zidane from the Princess.

"You really think we'd try to poison her after all we went through to help her? You took the same stuff, we all did!" Zidane replied, irritated.

Steiner didn't answer, but his scowl was answer enough that he wasn't pleased. Zidane pushed passed him and slowly coaxed the golden liquid antidote into her mouth.

"Now we wait. It shouldn't take too long to work," Zidane muttered. He remained kneeling by the Princess while Steiner stood away, next to Celes who had remained silent during the scene. After a moment, she glanced at the older knight.

"You assume the worst of people, you know," She commented.

He looked at her, and frowned deeply.

"And you assume that everyone is perfect and innocent," He countered.

She scoffed quietly and turned towards him, her eyes filled with ice.

"No, I don't. In fact, I've probably seen worse than you ever will. But, you're so damn haughty that you'll never look past your own armor and see that others might actually be trying to do the right thing," She retorted angrily, but still her voice was quiet.

He seemed to consider her words for a single moment, but then looked away from her.

"Not where the Princess is concerned. To these rebels, she's a power-play. She can be used. She's naive, much like you. Some might find that naivety 'cute,' but it will get you killed," Steiner replied.

Celes glared, the ice in her eyes dropping to subzero temperatures.

"You think you know me, Adelbert? You think I'm naive?" She chuckled, with no amusement in the sound. "Since we're playing the psycho-analysis game, how about I tap into yours?"

"I've nothing to hide, especially from a little girl like you," Steiner answered, continuing to avert his eyes from the younger knight.

"You're constantly watching your back. Why? You don't trust anyone else to do so. You're constantly believing that you're being one-upped by others in the military, but not because you are, but because you're afraid to be. You attack everyone around you, no matter who they are, because your insecure. And when anyone confronts you, or does something that you think might make them seem better than you, then you refuse to give them the credit, assuming their actions are underhanded in some way. You know what that makes you?"

She waited for no response, as she stood in front of him, her eyes connecting with his. As they did, his stomach began to recoil. There was something strange... so unusual about the way her eyes were fixed on him. He struggled to keep the bile in his stomach in it's place as he weakly responded.

"I.. don't... care."

She closed her eyes, and his stomach began to settle into normalcy.

"It makes you a coward. See, Captain? That's why I outrank you. Cause you don't deserve anything higher," She stated, almost spitting in the older knight's face.

Both of Steiner's fists clenched. But before he could act on his fury, a voice cut through their debate.

"Hey, knights! We got a problem!" Blank yelled out, as he pointed to the archway the group had entered. As the two turned, a thing easily compared to a reddish spider leaped into the room, and flew towards the Princess. It screeched as it flew...

But never made it as a well timed slice from Zidane's dagger gutted it.

"We've got to move!" Celes yelled out, as she leaped over the spider thing's dead carcass, as another leaped into the tree. She slung the Princess over both shoulders.

"Steiner! Watch my back!" She yelled over the screech of the spider thing as a second jumped in.

"Don't worry," He said as he sliced through one of the spiders, their earlier discussion forgotten for the time being.

"Claude! Wake up!" Carrie said, as she was shaking the unconscious thief. Only now was it realized that the thief, who'd been slammed against the bark during the battle was still unconscious. Blank ran over, beginning to carry the unconscious man.

"Damn, Claude! Don't eat so much," He commented, as he looked over at Zidane. Zidane nodded, an d pulled out his dagger.

"We'll head out!"

-

Every tree alive, every plant aware.

_Kill._

Every beast, every insect, every bird.

_Kill. Intruders._

The entire forest itself.

_No escape._

And as one, it began...

_Attack. Attack them._

_**Attack them, now.**_

-

Dispatching the few that had come into the tree, they group began walking away from it.

**(Begin:** **Yasunori Mitsuda - Panic)**

"Son of a-Zidane! There's more!" Blank yelled out, as he began running faster. Despite the load on his shoulders, he seemed to move on easily.

"How many?" Zidane asked, as he began to run, leading the group.

"I can't tell, but.. " Blank said, and he looked at Zidane worriedly.

"It's like the entire forest is after us," he said, as he kept running along side Zidane.

"I know," Zidane answered, then paused.

"Bro. Take care of everyone, all right?"

Before Blank could ask, Zidane had turned around. His dagger was out, and he easily slayed two of the spiders that were chasing the group.

"Zidane! You idiot! Keep moving!" Blank said, as he backtracked slightly to kick the other thief back into gear. "You can't take them on by yourself, it's suicide! Just gotta get outta here!"

Zidane nodded, and then bolted in front of Blank, but just slightly.

Around the fleeing group, the forest literally came alive. Trees, plants and beasts all began to watch the group, and some even jumped out. However, the group had speed on them, and most of the beasts turned tail after a few moments, content to allow another to take their place. The forest grew darker, and the path grew more narrow the farther they went. However, as the time passed, each of them was beginning to feel the subtle wear of the journey.

None more so than Blank. He stumbled on, just as he felt movement on his shoulders.

"Damn it, Claude! Wake up!"

A grunt on his shoulders gave him relief as Claude finally awoke.

"No time to explain," Blank said as he stopped and let Claude off his shoulders. "Run after them," he exclaimed, pointing at the group that was ahead of them. Claude nodded, and bolted towards them.

-

_They are escaping._

It watched in anger.

_They will escape us if you do not stop them. Faster._

If it had an eyebrow, it would have quirked the second as it saw the one in the back. The one with flaming red hair.

_Focus on the one in the back. He will feed us all._

Confusion confronted him.

_The others can escape for now. We'll soon escape our confines with our new energy. Go now._

_-_

Blank ran as hard as his legs would allow him, but Claude's semi-rested nature kept him ahead of the other thief.

"Come on, Blank! Keep up! We don't have much time!" Claude's voice rang over the sound of the forest coming to them.

"I'm-HEY!"

Claude looked over his shoulder, and his eyes narrowed. Blank had tripped, but was getting to his feet. But his irritation turned to horror as he saw the tentacles flying from the trees. He started running again, hoping that Blank would make it.

"Zidane! Pick it up! We've got bigger problems!"

The smaller boy far ahead of him seemed to hear, as he pushed his pace up. The two knights behind him also responded in the same, running side by side, Steiner with his blade drawn. Claude nodded, satisfied as he picked up his own pace.

"Goddamnit! Claude!" Blank's voice screamed from behind him. Claude turned, and saw the thief caught by the tentacles. In his hand was a large scroll. He tossed it, hoping to make it to the leader of the pack. The throw was short, however, and Claude caught it in air.

"Get it to Zidane, Claude! Get outta here!"

"Bro! I'm sorry!" Claude yelled, as he tripled his speed, meeting the rest of the group as they ran from the forest.

-

_We shall eat well again. Then, we'll strike back into the world once more._

The forest agreed with it, as it began to approach Blank, caught in the forest's tentacles.

_Feast well, my friends. We'll soon-_

**NO.**

The voice, feminine in nature, was heard throughout the forest, in the minds of everything.

_You cannot stop us again!_

**I can. For now, you'll be frozen in stone.**

_You cannot!_

**I can, and I am.**

Then, as a whole, the forest began to cry in agony. It tried to force the petrification away, but it's power didn't compare to the power of the woman.

-

The group as a whole pressed on harder, until finally they'd reached edge of the forest... and as they left the forest, it turned to stone behind them. No one could say a word, as they turned to it.

"Blank, you stupid idiot..." Zidane muttered quietly.

-

**-Author's Notes-**

**...I hate the Evil Forest. But, I like the idea I came up with. That might not be so bad, and might be mentioned later in the story. R&R.**

**-dwr**


	9. Fire and Ice: Ch VII: Malicious Fingers

It was too quiet early that next morning, Celes thought as she gazed at the embers of the long dormant fire.

It wasn't neccesarily symbolic of something negative, of course. Early morning was often accompanied by silence. However, she wasn't used to it. In the castle, she was always surrounded by sound.

Whether it was soldiers waltzing by, or the distant sounds from the ever busy kitchen, there was always sound. Without the almost operatic cacophony that was Alexandria Castle, she was left alone in her cold thoughts.

It was interesting that she herself would describe her thoughts as "cold." She hated the word.

No, hate was too lax; loath fit better.

She had often been described with the word to such levels that she had been referred to as the Ice Princess. She followed rules, but wasn't afraid to express what needed to be expressed.

Of course, after an incident with some theft in the Royale Knights, a group of soldiers had found that out the hard way. The rumors had started, interestingly enough, soon after.

Celes again, was labeled. This time, the label of deviant.

Of course, General Beatrix's reputation remained sterling, although these rumors did include her. Her second in command was looked at quite differently when it was considered that she was sleeping with the General. Of course, no one dared say anything to either one of them. And of course, the rumors weren't true. But, both were damaged (Celes more-so) by the rumor's longevity.

Even a year later, and after the various glares and lectures by the General, the rumors still circulated. Celes (and her reputation as a soldier) were tainted... but were beginning to rebuild themselves with time.

But even as time went by, her reliance on her own strength was rock solid. She'd taught herself that even if everyone betrayed her, she could still depend on herself.

With that said, she still valued her friendship with General Beatrix. Although the rumors would have one believe the relationship between the two was sordid, they did have a solid friendship. Beatrix had taught Celes how to fight, and she had taught her how to survive in the world. Celes respected General Beatrix more than anyone else... besides herself, anyway.

In that respect, she was quite alone.

She considered duty above all else, including friendships. Because of that, her only friendship was the one she had made with Beatrix. She was content to have only that relationship.

Celes looked down at the former fire before she began to attempt to rekindle the flames. Soon, with some other scrap wood lying around, she had a small flame started. Her mind began to wander again.

When others had been drinking after hours, she had continued with the training. Most of the kata routines she had learned in those extra times of training she still used. She felt this made her better soldier.

Those times had also given her the insight, and the desire to learn to control the latent Runic energy she found resided in her body and the world around her. This same Runic that was part of her arsenal now was the Runic that she practiced nightly then. The same Runic that separated her from the rest of the military.

Runic: the ability to make magic a null force on the battlefield was an interesting ability to say the least. But, as with all abilities, it did have it's drawbacks. When in full force, she was almost completely vulnerable to physical attacks. She'd learned to keep her Runic up in most combat situations, but it was still difficult to maintain it when enemies were ganging up on her.

However, Runic, as she had learned, wasn't limited to the absorption and manipulation of offensive or defensive magic. Her senses were alive constantly, able to detect when magic was flying towards her. Even outside of battle though, her senses for magic around her were always alive, always feeling. Because of that, she could sense the magic of the world around her.

Most people didn't believe that there was magic outside of the hands of a mage. However, she'd learned quite early that this wasn't true. The world was made up of magical forces that were constantly there. It was easily overwhelming for someone who wasn't ready for it, and the constant touch of magic was enough to make one insane. She'd learned to deal with the mystical touch on her mind, and she now was comforted by it.

Of course, even with the negative effects, the positive effects were apparent when one learned of them. The ability to use the magical energy in the world around you allowed for… certain things to be finished a little bit easier. Dealing with a insubordinate guard was made much easier when one could use the Runically-absorbed energy around them. She'd never used her abilities for anything except when they were needed… but it didn't take a devious mind to know what the potential of them was.

Either way, most people weren't aware of the abilities that Runic had granted her, because she didn't make most people aware of it. After all, a warrior's secrets are sometimes best left unsaid.

People didn't always understand why she was (to the best of her knowledge, anyway) the only Runic Knight in the world. In all fairness, she'd wondered the same thing. She understood all too well the particulars of being able to learn to use Runic, and the hardships in it, but surely she wasn't the only one in the world who could? Runic itself took discipline and courage, and a healthy amount of sanity. And she knew that not many people could handle that. But certainly, she couldn't be the only one capable.

**Only a few are strong enough.**

Her head jolted up. Where had that thought come from? A moment later, she closed her eyes.

She could immediately sense and feel and almost _see_ the magic surrounding her. Light blue tendrils traced paths around her psyche And even though it had no physical form, she could feel the calm, almost tender touches on her body.

She focused, intending on exploring the source of this unusual magic. But, as she did, it seemed to avoid her. The more persistent she was about touching it, the more insistently it eluded her.

**Not yet. You're not ready.**

And just like that, the magic was gone. She tried to pull it back, wanting to know what was talking to her. Wanting to know what type of magic it wielding.

…Wanting to know why it made her feel safe.

She opened her eyes again and began to survey the group that were still sleeping.

Princess Garnet Til Alexandros was sleeping fitfully. Celes sighed quietly as she watched the child Princess. The girl wasn't much younger than Celes, but she commanded so much power and respect. The amazing beautiful daughter of a greatly loved queen, Garnet was a keeper to her family's legacy.

A legacy that included a throne that she wasn't ready for. Or perhaps… she didn't want it.

Celes shook her head sadly. The Princess hated being trapped in the castle, though she hid it quite well. Celes didn't blame her for not wanting to be there. The world was too big to be stuck in a stone building every day.

Especially with Queen Brahne was her mother and Captain Adelbert Steiner as her bodyguard.

She glanced at the knight who, while standing, was fast asleep. She smirked. It was well known that the older knight couldn't take night duty. She tilted her head slightly to the right as she continued to watch him.

Adelbert Steiner was loyal to a fault. So much so, that he hadn't heard (or believed) the rumors of the man the Queen had been consorting with. His faith in the crown was unbreakable. As much as she disliked the man, she admired that in him.

Part of her was also disgusted.

A good knight had faith on a strong, unbreakable foundation. If the foundation was shakey, then the faith was imbalanced and ill-fated. But, if the faith was placed on a solid, yet phony foundation, the first sign of trouble would begin to erode it. Steiner placed his faith in people, in those in the Royalty of Alexandria. And as good as those people might be, one's faith couldn't solely be placed in them.

With the negative in mind, Steiner was still one of the finest people Princess Garnet could have to guard her. Where others believed in just the name, Steiner believed in the girl. Celes smiled as she thought of it.

Steiner beamed when the Princess succeeded at anything. He was always so very proud of the girl, always applauding when she'd finished a task. He brought a smile to her face often when others could not. So, underneath that armor laid the soul of a good man. Just not many got to see it.

Celes' gaze turned to Carrie Tremont.

The girl was weak, but it wasn't a bad thing. She'd never needed to be strong. Celes had never met her, but her appearance spoke volumes. She lived in Alexandria all her life, and probably would continue to do so. That wasn't bad for her, but Celes couldn't have imagined choosing that for herself.

Her meager attacks were flawed, Celes had noted as she had observed the girl in combat while still in the Evil Forest. Her style of attack was more for herding animals outside of town than for actual combat. Her attacks, while being all right for chickens were harmless against anything vicious, and laughable against anyone with half a mind.

But, Celes reasoned, it wasn't the girl's fault. She was a city girl. She had no reason to learn how to fight beasts, or take a man down silently, or to make a kill messy (on purpose.) She hadn't needed any of those skills, so she'd never obtained them.

Celes turned her head to look at Zidane Tribal, and by proxy, the cliff face a bit in the distance where Claude Beoluve was probably still sleeping.

Both were thieves, and on the surface, quite similar. Zidane was happy-go-lucky. His natural charisma and friendliness allowed him to roll and adapt according to whatever situation he found himself in.

Claude's attitude, while similar to Zidane's, appeared to be because he needed to be that way. Maybe there was something in his past he couldn't bear to face. She could be wrong, but his personality almost seemed like purely a emotional guard. She wasn't sure, and she wondered briefly if she'd be around the thief to find out.

Either way, both thieves were quick, and mostly polite.

She could fault them for being part of the plan to kidnap the Princess. And no matter how noble they believed their intentions, the basic fact was that the ship they flew away on was carrying the Princess of Alexandria, and she was not scheduled to be on that flight despite appearances to the opposite.

She wasn't sure what the plan had been, but much had been clear. It didn't appear that harm was intended to the Princess. In fact, she believed fully that if the ship had managed to escape Alexandria, the Princess would have probably been treated with the best of care.

Even after the crash, it appeared (at least by Blank, Claude and Zidane) that they were concerned whole-heartedly with making sure the Princess made it out of the forest alive. That might have been for their own sakes, but she couldn't see it being that way. Blank had ultimately paid the price when he'd tossed the map to Claude.

Some of the thieves in the Tantalus group would be labeled as outlaws by others, branded as criminals. But these three were a different breed, and she couldn't quite label them as any of those terms. She'd figure it out eventually.

Her mind drifted once again, this time to more intricate thoughts.

Tantalus was obviously not a theatre troupe, though they played the part quite well. It appeared many of the members were quite good as actors. Even though the play was horrendous (though she'd heard rumors that the Queen, Steiner, and the Princess were all huge fans of the play…) they'd managed to put together quite a production.

She wondered idly how. They didn't appear to have any means of which to support themselves besides as thieves, and no group of petty thieves would be daring enough to steal as impressive an airship as the _Prima Vista_ had been. These were either thieves with means…

Or they had someone backing them.

Whoever would be backing this type of operation certainly had something akin to courage, and she was quite certain if either Lindblum (where they'd hailed from) or Alexandria found out who was funding their operation… well… it wouldn't be pretty to say the least. General Beatrix didn't take well to those who were intent on harming the kingdom. She felt a small pang of pity for whoever was responsible.

Regent Cid Fabool wouldn't be happy either.

Out of all of Alexandria's allies in the world, Lindblum's Regent was the staunchest. And if a kidnapping originated in his borders, he'd deal with it just as harshly. Celes would have to make sure to present her evidence to both General Beatrix, and have it sent to the Regent as well.

Celes looked around her for a moment. People would begin waking up any time now, and they'd have to move on.

She didn't relish the town they'd be coming upon when they made it above the Mist…

-

On the edge of the Evil Forest, a pair of red eyes watched the Runic Knight as she pondered. Far enough away, the presence wouldn't alert her, and even if it did, she probably wouldn't recognize it as a threat.

He grinned sadistically.

Out of everyone in the group, the Knight was the only one who posed a threat to him. But even that was insubstantial. His speed and power were far greater than hers, and she would fold easily against him.

But, his eyes focused on another person. The girl who slept fitfully. Strangely, he found he couldn't take his eyes off her. It wasn't attraction, it wasn't because he felt some kind of lust towards her.

No.

He salivated at the thought. He'd break her. Every single fabric of her being would be broken before he was done. She'd beg him to kill her, and he'd beg her to bleed more. He'd break her bones, and she'd cry out in the shrill thrall of pain. He wouldn't stop until she was inexplicably _his._ She'd beg him to stop, and yet she'd know that he was the only thing keeping her alive.

Or as alive as one could be in the state she would be in.

But, he wouldn't just stop at bodily harm. Because, as much of a thrill as that would be to him, her emotional and mental destruction would be far greater, far more pleasing, far more fascinating. There'd be a point when some small part of her would want to fight him, but the rest of her would be submissive to him. She'd hate him, and she would need him more than anything else in the world.

Without him, she'd be unable to breath, unable to eat, unable to function.

He'd be her lifeblood, her savior and her execution.

She'd want him, even if it killed her to do so.

He chuckled darkly. The girl would never even see it coming. And he would relish quenching anything resembling life from her.

He looked towards the rest of the group, and shook his head. None of them mattered. Only her. And with that thought, he stepped back into the forest, easily making his way through the petrified mess.

-

_Author's notes._

_This portion shows a bit of my closeness to Celes, and what the character became to me during the RP's that I'm transcribing. I don't often create characters that have staying abilities (or in this case, borrow) but she turned out to be an amazing character. And this chapter does show that._

_It also shows a bit of my sadistic side. Sorry guys, I know you thought I was innocent._


	10. Fire and Ice: Ch VIII: Ahead on our Way

**The Runic Legacy****  
Part 1: Fire and Ice  
Chapter VIII: Ahead On Our Way  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_Adventure: An undertaking involving uncertainty and risk; an exciting or extraordinary event or series of events._

_We had made our way through the ice caverns and had been magically assaulted by… something. The only persons to know what it was were Zidane Tribal and Claude Belouve, and neither one wanted to reveal anything. Whatever it was though, it was quick. Major Celes Chere did not even have the time to try anything before she was unconscious. Captain Adelbert Steiner was gone moments later, followed by Vivi Oruntia and myself. It was so strong, so irresistible, that you __**had **__to succumb to it._

_A spell, doused with ice and the power of sleep. So cold you wished to sleep, and so powerful you had to sleep. An impressive combination to say the least, and difficult for most mages to accomplish. It took a being whose life was dedicated to understanding magic and how to manipulate it in powerful ways to develop and to be able to control a spell like that for an extended period of time._

_Whatever it was, either Zidane or Claude must have taken care of it, because soon after was when we all woke up, still bitterly cold, but more or less healthy. Zidane seemed to know something, but as I've previously written, it didn't seem that he wished to reveal._

_With a troubled heart, we made our way to a small farming village, Dali. And it was in this village that our own adventure started. I would see Celes, Claude, and Carrie again, but never again would we travel together. Our paths were wont to cross again, but not for extended lengths. Their paths were forever distant and close to our own, always watching but never interfering._

_I don't know entirely what happened to them, besides through the limited accounts I have received from a statesman from House Kolt. I do know it was trying, and almost as difficult as our own quest. But, that is a story for another time, and this is hardly the place to speak of such things._

_The cruelty of those they met must have been heart-wrenching and heartbreaking, and the events their eyes could express would quickly take their toll on any lesser human soul. How they managed to stay alive and sane is a fact that I cannot believe I will ever understand. It saddens me that they, that anyone in our day and age would have to undertake such a task; that they were required to walk the path forced upon them because no one else could walk that path upright._

_Because of this, I have nothing but respect for them._

_But, to lighten this small part of our journey and the beginning of theirs, we honestly didn't mean to leave them behind. Claude Belouve would have you believing much different, but I promise you. We honestly did not mean to._

_ Memoirs of Peace and War, Garnet til Alexandros XVII_

* * *

The meadow outside was quiet the next morning as Celes sat in it. Cross-legged, her sword was lain across her legs, with her arms laying on top of it. Her face was stoic, her eyes closed, and it seemed her breathing was almost non-existent.

It seemed to Claude who'd been watching her this morning that the knight was meditating.

Of course, he wasn't sure that he wanted to ask. In all fairness to her, Celes Chere didn't seem to be the nicest woman alive. During his travels with Tantalus, he'd heard stories of her. However, that stage had been the first time he'd seen her face to face, and her swordsmanship was nothing to scoff at, Just like he'd overheard. He could tell for sure that she'd trained under Beatrix. He scowled as the name crossed his mind.

Alyssa Beatrix had no special place in his heart.

He began to walk towards the knight, and as he did, her eyes flew open.

"Can I help you?"

Her curtness startled him, but he kept walking towards her.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt you."

Celes looked over at him.

"Of course you did, or else you wouldn't have done it. I ask again, can I help you?"

Claude stopped.

"What's your problem, lady? Someone wake you up on the wrong side of the ice crystal?" Claude's lips curved up into a smile. Moments later, however, the smile left his face as Celes jumped to her feet.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear an answer in that."

Claude sighed, before crossing his arms.

"So, notice anything amiss?"

Celes' eyes narrowed, as she looked around her carefully.

"It depends on what you define amiss as. Amiss as in you have been bothering me since you started talking, then yes."

Claude ignored her words, before finally turning back towards the town.

"I thought knights were supposed to be observant. But, yet, it seems you've missed a critical fact."

"Like?"

Claude whirled around, facing the knight angrily.

"The Princess? You know, the one you're supposed to be guarding?! Notice she's not in town anymore? Neither is Steiner, or Zidane, or any of them! It's only you, me and Carrie left!"

Celes shook her head, before finally brushing past Claude, heading back into the town. Before she could get far though, his hand grabbed her and turned her around.

"Don't bother looking. I've already checked everywhere. Way to blow it."

Celes' fist was clenched, but she restrained herself for a moment before finally speaking through gritted teeth.

"Is the girl awake?"

Claude nodded.

"I hope you've got a good plan to save yourself, lady. I'm sure that since you lost the Princess, you're probably roasted. Beatrix'll have your hide. Sure wish I got to-"

Celes grabbed his arm.

"Follow me, before I find myself harming you."

* * *

Carrie was sitting on a bed, just having recently redressed herself when Claude and Celes came in.

"Sit."

Claude growled, but sat begrudgingly on one of the other beds.

"Right, so what's the deal?"

Celes closed the door before clearing her throat.

"Quite simply. They left."

Carrie's eyes widened.

"Left? Where did they go?"

Celes pulled a chair from the table in the room, and then sat down.

"They headed by airship to Lindblum last night."

Claude frowned.

"Wait, why would they have just left without us?"

Celes' fist was once again clenched.

"Because we couldn't find you. And we didn't have much time. The Princess ordered me to make sure the two of you made it to Lindblum safely. Which means that you both will make it to Lindblum safely."

Carrie swallowed nervously. Celes seemed to be angry, and Carrie was more nervous because of it.

"How?"

Celes closed her eyes.

"We'll have to travel on foot. If we start soon, we should be able to make it by afternoon tomorrow. Which is what we'll be doing."

She motioned to the other two.

"Gather supplies. We're leaving in an hour."

Before they could reply, the knight had left. Carrie nervously looked over at Claude.

"Why… was she so angry?"

"I don't know. Icey seemed to be angry when I went out to see her."

* * *

A few minutes later, Claude and Carrie had made their way into the town's only shop. After picking up a few potions and other medicinal herbs for the journey, Claude walked towards the counter to pay.

"Can we really make it to Lindblum walking?"

Carrie's question startled him, as the girl had remained mostly quiet during the browsing of the store. While he sorted his gil, counting out how much the purchase was, he turned to her. His lips curved slightly up.

"I've never done it. But, I know the journey isn't impossible. We'll go south along the cliffs until we reach South Gate. After we pass the gate, we'll cross the plains, then use one of the paths up the mountain to reach the main gates of Lindblum. I know the knight thinks we can make it overnight, but the journey isn't going to be that easy."

He finished sorting the gil, and placed the correct amount on the counter. Then, as the clerk counted the gil, he began to place each item in the knapsack he had over his shoulder.

"How long do you think we'll be walking?" Carrie asked.

Claude stopped for a moment, thinking. Then, he resumed his actions.

"Two days. Getting into Lindblum will be difficult since Serpent's Gate was closed by the Regent a month ago because of the increase of angry things in the Mist," He said, then looked into the bag.

"Okay, finished." He pauses, making sure they'd gotten everything they could need (and afford), before looking at her.

"Plus, I want to make it back in time for the Festival of the Hunt. I'm stoked about it."

Carrie's eyes widened with confusion.

"The Festival of the Hunt?"

Claude cleared his throat as he put the knapsack over his shoulder and began to walk towards the door, waving his thanks to the clerk.

"A yearly event in Lindblum. All types of fiends are unleashed upon the streets of Lindblum, and warriors from all over the world enlist to see who is the most quick and powerful warrior in the contest. The prizes from the competition are well worth it, and it is always the main spectacle of the year. I've participated the last few years."

Carrie followed him outside as he opened the door.

"It sounds dangerous!"

He smiled.

"Only if you aren't prepared. And I make a point to make sure I'm well prepared."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Claude and Carrie were heading towards the town gates, just as Celes came from a side street. A man followed behind her, his face twisted in anger.

"If you ever come back-"

She laughed.

"Tough chance of that. Since, I received such a warm and loving welcome this time. I think I'll stick away, if that's all right."

Before she could get any farther, the man pushed her against a building roughly, pinning her to the wall.

"Don't walk away when I'm talking to you."

Celes' eyes flashed furiously.

"Take your hand off me."

He laughed.

"Gonna hurt me, little knight? What are you going to do?"

Celes lips, already frowning slightly turned to a deep frown.

"You lost the right to refer to me disrespectfully when you kicked me out. Take your hands off me now."

"And if I don't?"

Celes met his eyes for the first time.

"Then, I'll remove it, and the other one from your body."

To emphasize her point, the blade that had been sheathed only moments ago touched his neck. The man smirked.

"You don't have the guts to do it, little knight."

Celes laughed out loud, almost absurdly. Carrie and Claude, already watching in stunned silence seemed to back away a few steps.

"I'm General Alyssa Beatrix's second in command. I've worked my ass off in the castle to prove my worth. I've fought bandits; I've stared down rebellious soldiers. I have more guts then you can ever hope to have."

Her other hand pushed him away forcefully.

"If you ever touch me again, I'll take your arm."

She turned to Carrie and Claude.

"Let's go. I've had my share of this town."

* * *

_It's finally complete. I'm pleased that I got this chapter out of the way, and even though it continues the Celes-centric feel of the previous chapter, it got some necessary plot things out of the way. The journey is next, and who knows. Maybe we'll see some new faces?_

_dwr_


	11. Fire and Ice: Ch IX: The Memory

**The Runic Legacy  
****Part 1: Fire and Ice**

**  
Chapter IX : The Memory of a Tragedy**

**--**

_  
The trip itself so far hasn't been horrible. We've fought some fiends, but between Claude and Celes, I've barely had to move. Not that I can help, anyway..._

_I think that's __South Gate__ ahead of us. And beyond that, I'm sure is Lindblum._

_I've never been there, but I've heard all about its technology and airships that are so common. I can't wait to see it all!_

Carrie Tremont

* * *

_  
_"I apologize."

The first words spoken since Dali, and they were that of an apology, broke the silence of the group. As she spoke them, Celes turned to the other two. Claude and Carrie stopped, looking at her in surprise.

"My problems, while prevalent in that situation offered me no reason to treat you in the manner that I did."

Claude grinned, but shrugged indifferently.

"Everyone has bad mornings. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed, did ya?"

Celes met Claude's eyes, testing for his sincerity in his unusual acceptance. She saw nothing but honesty and looked away, as Carrie spoke up.

"W-why were you so mad?"

Celes shook her head before she started walking.

"It's stupid really... It'd take time to explain... and it's not one of my favorite topics."

Claude's grin only widened.

"We're walking to Lindblum. I don't think we're going to be doing anything else important for a while."

Celes didn't answer.

"It'll pass the hours... right?" Carrie asked timidly,

Celes sighed quietly. In truth, she didn't want to speak about the incident. The only person in the world who knew of the backdrop to the situation (beyond herself, of course) was General Beatrix. It had been the most difficult thing she'd ever done to admit to Beatrix her own failing: the fact that her parents couldn't stand the sight of her.

"It will."

The three began walking once again, Carrie and Claude choosing to catch up with the knight.

"So what's the deal?"

"Dali was my hometown at one point in my life. All of my memories from my early life are all in that town," she began. A bitter smile formed on her lips. "I don't remember much. I think my mind is blocking it out, so I never have to relive what I experienced."

She paused, surveying the path ahead of them as they walked. Far off, the path turned a bit rockier, a bit rougher than the those before it (and probably after it). Nonetheless, it was clear now and they wouldn't have a problem clearing it should the need arise.

"We shouldn't be too far off from one of the first checkpoints for the Gate," Claude commented, allowing Celes the apparent respite she'd needed. Celes nodded, and continued.

"What I do remember is pain. I wasn't even 10 before I realized that the cruelty that my parents bestowed upon me wasn't love, nor was it nice. Because of that I learned to not depend on their resources, instead using what I could teach myself to survive."

Celes quieted for a moment, before finally speaking once more.

"Of course, that made them no happier, and the abuse I suffered at their hands worsened. I was the workhorse, the one you took your anger out on. I ran away at 11, and lived on the streets of Alexandria. I became a thief so I could eat, and tried to stay alive on streets that weren't friendly to children."

Stopping for a moment, she pulled a tiny canteen from the pouch on her hip, and drank from it. Seeming to take from her cue, Carrie searched for her own.

"I never thought that the streets in town were that bad. They were always busy..." Carrie commented.

"You didn't live on them, Carrie. That same busyness is horrible when those streets are your home," Celes replied. Putting her canteen back in the pouch, she continued.

"I stole from a certain family when they came to Alexandria from Lindblum to visit the Queen. And, as luck would have it, their child caught me. I was turned into the nearest guard, which happened to be the General. For reasons I don't know why, she took me under her wing after. She paid my way from jail, and began to get me the finest education that could be offered. I began to train with her daily, quickly learning the blade as she had. By 14, I'd become competent enough to be inducted into the Royale Knights of Alexandria, and the General continued to train me to be her protégé. I was prideful about my accomplishments, and I believed and still do believe that I deserved a level of that pride; I earned it."

As predicted, the path had begun to turn rocky. Claude took the lead, with Carrie following him. Celes brought up the rear as she moved forward in the story of her life.

"I went home near my fifteenth birthday, just after I'd been promoted. I thought maybe if I could show some level of strength to my parents, that maybe they would start to respect me. I walked into the house that I should have been welcome in, only to find that the parents who hated me couldn't stand the sight of me still. My father told me that if I wanted any belongings that I might've had, I should be ready to go through him..." She paused, blinking as she looked at the sunlight in the sky for a moment, "...I wasn't ready to do that."

Claude looked over his shoulder as they maneuvered around a boulder.

"So, what did you do?"

Celes snorted.

"What else could I do? I returned to Alexandria and continued to train, be promoted, and gain respect. I've had a few rough spots through the times, but it was never something that I couldn't get past with time or efforts on my part. Some things, I'm still working on."

Carrie didn't turn as she asked, "Wh... what happened in Dali this morning then?"

"I was ready to go through him. I was hoping I wouldn't have to, but I caught him as he was going out to work for the day. He said some words, which I replied to with vocabulary he didn't appreciate. I chose to leave, and what you saw was the final backlash. It wasn't pretty but, nothing with my "family" is," Celes finally finished, shaking her head.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Claude broke the silence.

"Heads up. The guard shack's manned up ahead."

Celes nodded, beginning to take the lead, before she felt Claude's hand on her shoulder.

"Listen, Ice. You should let me do the talking," He explained, moving in front of her.

"Why?"

He smiled, his teeth gleaming in the light.

"Just trust me on this one, champ."

Her smile matched his.

"You're going to have to earn that."

His smile never disappearing, he shrugged.

"Suit yourself. I'll follow your lead."

Celes began to walk towards the gate, still a ways off.

"What's the worst that can happen?" She asked out loud.

* * *

"I'm sorry; you must not have heard me, sir. I'm under orders directly from Princess Garnet Til Alexandros of Alexandria to escort these two to Lindblum. Her orders are only superseded by Queen Brahne in this province. You denying us entrance now is proof enough to have you relieved!" Celes yelled a few minutes later.

The gatekeeper shook his head from behind the bars protecting him from Celes a few minutes later. He was an older gentlemen, and it appeared from the tired look on his face that Celes was making his long day worse.

"And I'm in Linblum controlled territory, ma'am. I've been handed orders passed down from the Regent which state I am to deny entrance to anyone crossing the Alexandrian/Lindblum border until further notice. I apologize, but I can't let you through."

Celes turned away angrily, covering her face with her hands to try to hide her frustration. Claude's hand on her arm brought them down.

"Let me try something," He muttered quietly.

She nodded, before slumping in discouragement. Claude put his best smile on and headed over to converse with the gatekeeper.

"I already told you, sir. I can't let you through!"

Claude's smile didn't leave his face as he reached into his pocket.

"I've got two reasons why you should let us through."

The gatekeeper sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them.

"Really." He responded.

"That's right. The first being that I'm actually a citizen of Lindblum. I pay my taxes, buy Lindblum made products, entertain the city guards as I'm walking through the capital, and most of all, am employed by a Lindblum based theatre troupe named Tantalus."

As elated at Claude sounded, the gatekeeper seemed at best unimpressed.

"And the second, sir?" He answered tiredly.

"I've got this," Claude replied, pulling out a small blue book from his pocket, sliding it through the window. "It's a signed passport from the Regent granting members of Tantalus and those accompanying them free passage across the border at any time, including during times when border stations are on lock down." Claude's smile was now a grin.

The gatekeeper's eyes had gotten larger and larger while he looked over the document and listened to Claude. He held it up closer, before meeting Claude's eyes.

"I'll uhm... need proof of your identity, sir," He said meekly.

Claude pulled out another document from his pocket, this time the size of a playing card. Handing it to the gatekeeper, he coughed gently, as if he was urging the man along.

"I trust everything is in order."

The gatekeeper shook his head, almost disgusted.

"What is the Regent doing these days...?" He met Claude's eyes. "Sorry Mister Beoluve. You are free to cross the border with your companions." The gatekeeper slid the documents back to Claude, and headed over to pull the gate open for them.

"Shall we?

* * *

_  
Well then, kids. Writer's block, with a case of moving, work hours that never quite agree with me, laziness, and some mildly rough times have led to this taking as long as it did. I'm trying to get myself set into a rhythm of writing, and it's been happening quite often at work. This one was finished whilst I was up north. _

_I'll sign off, but I just want to give you guys some notice. _

_I realize that I've been very much Celes centric in this story, when I've got three (cough even more than three) characters to expand upon. I intend to fix that situation in the next chapter, which I plan to start writing after I finish this. _

_Until next chapter..._

_Quick edit: Fanfiction net seems to have some issues with my formatting. I'm gonna clean it up best I can, but... shrug I'm doing the best I can here, kids._


	12. Fire and Ice: Ch X: Fire Cross

**The Runic Legacy**

_Part I: Fire and Ice_

**Chapter X: Fire Cross

* * *

**

"What was that?!"

The group had been virtually silent since they'd past through the gate a mere ten minutes previous. Claude had grinned the entire way, his steps projecting a jaunty air that said magnitudes of how he was feeling at that particular moment. And that same thief in particular continued to grin as he turned back to Celes.

"What was what, my dear knight?" He asked, his tone showing the general joy that he'd gotten by pulling a fast one on the Runic Knight, much to her chargin.

"A specially issued passport from the Regent?!"

He chuckled, leaping off a ledge to land a short distance down on the path.

"I told you to let me handle it, you know," he replied, flashing a look back at her again.

She growled, and from near her she heard a giggle. Celes whirled on Carrie, her irritation growing.

"He did, you know," Carrie said, her tittering continuing before and after her statement.

Celes opened her mouth to speak, but finally came to the point that everyone else had well reached seconds after they had passed through the gate. He had gotten her, because she was being as pig-headed as Steiner. She cursed, allowing a mild and curt laugh to pass her lips.

"Fair."

The pseudo-argument settled, Celes and Carrie caught up to Claude. A few moments later, Carrie spoke up.

"I didn't know you were so important, Claude," She commented quietly.

Claude shook his head, still exuding giddiness. "Not important. Just on an important job," he replied. Celes looked off to the side, her eyes looking to Claude for further explanation. When none seemed to come, her patience finally thinned.

"An important job, in the Alexandrian Castle?"

Claude stiffened, as she thought he might when she asked. Finally, he scratched the back of his head, and looked over to her.

"Icey, can I trust you? I've got information, but you're not gonna like it. And if you don't like it, you're liable to do something bad with it. And if you move to do something bad with it, I'll have to silence you," he told her.

"You can trust me," She replied without pause. He stopped, and cut over to her, his hands on her shoulders.

"No, I need you to look me in the eye. I can't tell you a mite more unless you can prove to me that I can trust you," he stated, his own eyes reflecting nothing but seriousness. Slowly, she nodded, before answering.

"You can."

He nodded, and glanced over at Carrie.

"Same for you, Carrie. This smidgeon of information I hold can't pass again through loose lips."

Carrie grimaced, but showed her own affirmation with a nod. Claude sighed, before beginning to walk again.

"As you might have figured out, Tantalus wasn't in Alexandria solely to show a play. It was with the full intent that we would leave with Princess Garnet Til Alexandros in our custody."

Celes eyes narrowed as they continued walking.

"What was your intention?"

"Don't misunderstand me, Knight. Our intentions were to kidnap her, and safely escort her to another location. We had no foul intent, and we were prepared to protect her by whatever means necessary," he answered. Stopping for a moment, he took a canteen from his side, and drank heavily from it. Replacing it, he continued. "We were hired to get her to Lindblum safely after taking her from the castle. Ironic that she wanted to leave, hm?"

He chuckled quietly and begun to walk once more.

Celes shifted uncomfortably as she walked.

"Hired to bring her to Lindblum? By whom?" she asked quietly.

Claude didn't miss a beat.

"Regent Cidolfuse al-Bunansa de Fabool."

The silence that his statement caused was expected. Claude tensed, expecting the worst from his statement, which carried with it an unvoiced claim, for if Lindblum's Regent had specifically funded the effort to kidnap the Alexandrian Princess…

"The good Regent thought that the Princess was in danger should she stay at Alexandria any longer. So, he hired Tantalus to put on the production, and kidnap the Princess," Claude finished. He glanced over at the knight, who had still remained silent. Her eyes finally looked up from the ground where they had fixed themselves sometime ago.

"So, he noticed…" she mused quietly.

"Noticed?" Carrie asked from her side. Celes chuckled darkly, the sound foreboding from her lips.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed. Stricter sentences for petty crimes, no tolerance from certain guards in the city, the raised taxes… even in the castle…" She muttered, trailing off.

"So things in the mighty capital are suckin' it up, hm? For what it's worth, I'm sorry to hear that, Icy," Claude said, his voice carrying over to the knight barely. However, her eyes whipped towards him in a second.

"I'm not looking for your sympathy," she spat angrily, and pushed ahead of them. With that, it was clear that their conversation was done.

* * *

They stopped a little over two hours later, near the base of the mountain. Claude had decided, in no uncertain terms, that they would be resting there for a time. Carrie had stuck with him, while Celes had walked towards a small creek down the way. Neither one of them had tried to stop her, memories of the abrupt end of their earlier conversation still fresh.

Celes herself was furious.

'_Out of all the things he could call me, why that? Does he think it's funny? I get it enough from hushed conversation in Alexandria, can't I escape that title outside of the castle?'_

She sat down on a rather large rock, looking at the river.

Claude's statement had affected her, but it was sadly things that had crossed her mind before. Alexandria's Queen had been making peculiar decisions in the near past, with punishments, advisors, even foreign diplomacy. It was only a matter of time before Lindblum's Regent, a fairly bright man of his own accord, would've caught on that something was amiss.

Perhaps the "kidnapping" of her daughter would lead to discussions between Lindblum and Alexandria, and lead to Brahne's proverbial stepping off her ledge. After all, Alexandria couldn't afford to lose its most prominent ally in the world. And if they lost their alliance with Lindblum, then the tenuous alliance with Burmecia would soon follow.

While Burmecia wasn't as strong of a supporter of Alexandria, it would be a critical blow to Alexandria to lose the commerce trade that came with that alliance. Burmecia was the premier manufacturer of mythril weapons as well as textiles usable in clothing and certain types of lighter armor.

She sighed. With time, she could only hope that the Queen's obsessive behavior as of late would be explained, before all-out war accompanied it. Sliding off the rock, she knelt to wash her face in the clear, crisp water of the creek.

And bolted up suddenly.

Training her Runic had granted her a kind of 'sixth sense,' allowing her to make out those whose magic proficiency was exceptional. She tensed, ready to draw her blade at a moment's notice.

"Politics is as much the bane of society as it is its facilitator. Better to wash your hands of it all, should you have the option," a male voice spoke behind her. Celes pulled herself to her feet slowly, turning to face the speaker. Seated upon the very same rock she herself had recently vacated was a young boy with short brown hair and a red headband, garbed in a dark blue, long-sleeved undershirt and long pants. A polished silver breastplate rested over the shirt, giving protection to his upper torso, while a pair of knee-length tan shorts covered his blue pants. A dark brown pouch of some sort hung at his right side, the same deep color as the ankle-length boots on his feet.

"And if I don't have the option?" she asked quietly.

He smiled, wolfish and friendly all at once. She couldn't help herself but to smile warily back.

"Then, make the best of it. You take what you get, and give back twice as hard. It's the way of the wild; those born of the fire and flame," he replied easily.

"And you are versed in the way of 'the fire and flame' Mister…?" She asked, leading him into hopefully answering as to her identity. His smile widen, his sleight realized.

"My apologies. Sylverresta Vierant Dragos at your service, milady. A pyremancer, manipulator of fire, and not a bad one. You must have noticed me a mile away, at least."

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, then in amusement. In the same breath he had complimented her, stroked his ego, and demonstrated knowledge of her magic sensitivity.

"How do you know of me?"

He laughed, though it was full of playful mirth rather than serious menace.

"Celes Chere, second in command to Alyssa Beatrix. But, that's not why you're popular, at least not in the circles that I frequent," he smiled as he approached her slowly. "Your Runic ability is renowned amongst the magi. You're one of the few warriors in the world that is truly thought to be impervious to magic. There's some of us who've have dedicated time and money to understanding, and perhaps learning, more of Runic's origin."

At the look she gave him at that, he shrugged lopsidedly.

"Granted, no one has quite figured it out yet, Miss Chere, so you're still a lone wolf. I'd do anything to be like you," he finished, his eyes still fixed on her. Looking closer, she recognized the look in his eyes for what it was. He was completely in awe of her… an experience she wasn't quite sure how to deal with. So instead, she chose to acknowledge the compliment alone.

"Thank you."

He smiled widely, accepting her words as though he had been handed gold. "Add in the fact that you journeyed off to find those who kidnapped the beautiful Princess of Alexandria, you're quite the legend around certain other circles."

She lowered her eyes, turning back to the creek.

"Not exactly how it happened, Mister Dragos. But, I'm journeying to catch up to the Princess who should've arrived at Lindblum by now, so I suppose the rumors are close to right."

He came to stand next to her.

"Are you kidding? The rumors aren't even close to true! I was watching the play!"

She turned to him, suddenly suspicious.

"Forgive me, Mister Dragos, but why are you out here?"

His eyes met hers, and she saw nothing but honesty coming from his still-awed gaze.

"I came to make a deal with you, Miss Chere. You're under no obligation to accept, and if you don't, I'll walk away disappointed, but I will walk away. But, if you do accept, I'll grant you use of my personal airship. I'll take you anyplace you wish to go, and I'll accompany you as a friend in arms if you'll have me. Be sure that someone of my talent will be a boon to you, in whatever you should choose to do."

She narrowed her eyes; her interest was piqued against her will.

"And what do I have to do, Mister Dragos?" she questioned.

He knelt down, picking up a rock and tossing it into the river. He tilted his head as he watched it sink. "Simple enough. I want you to fight in the Festival of the Hunt."

She looked at the back of his head, her suspicion still roused.

"Why?"

He turned his head so he could just barely see her out of the corner of his eye.

"Because, I've heard you're good with a sword. And I think you could win it. But, even if you do win, or even if you don't, my offer still stands."

She thought over it a moment. If he was offering a free ride anywhere… it made sense, with some suspension of disbelief. And it wasn't as if she couldn't defend herself if necessary.

"Very well, Mister Dragos. I'll meet you in Lindblum."

He grinned, and began to walk away.

"Oh, yeah, and one more thing? Could ya stop calling me Mister. That's Dad. Call me Dragos."

She chuckled despite herself.

"Dragos it is."

--------------


	13. Fire and Ice: Ch XI: Under a Full Moon

**The Runic Legacy**

Part I: Fire and Ice

**Chapter XI: Under a Full Moon  


* * *

**

_Nothing unusual happened today. Which, coming from a teenager means that I just had the best day of my life! I met Celes Chere, and she actually agreed to fight in the Festival! I'll finally get to see __**THE**__ Celes Chere fight! I hope she makes it in time… wait. Why didn't I tell her I'd give her a ride to Lindblum…? No! Now she's going to hate me!_

_P.S. Dad, stop reading my journal._

__

-Sylverresta Vierant Dragos in his journal.

A few hours later, the group had decided to move on, as early afternoon was rapidly approaching evening. The silence that had been instigated by the outburst Celes had shown earlier had not lessened, nor had it become less awkward. They continued this tense walk of silence until Claude finally spoke up.

"We've heard Celes' story. What about you, Carrie? Who's Carrie Tremont?"

The girl smiled meekly, a slight blush approaching her cheeks.

"No one important, really. I'm just a farmer girl from Alexandria."

He chuckled, patting her shoulder, a gentle smile on his face.

"C'mon now, you can't let it die like that! What do you like to do? What's your family like? What do you farm?" he prodded.

Carrie looked up, realizing that even the knight who had been silent had slowed down, apparently in an attempt to listen. Carrie cleared her throat nervously.

"Well, I like to read… any books really. Mom says that I cook really well, which means a lot coming from her, since she's the best cook ever. Dad says that neither one of us can cook, but it doesn't stop him from eating a second helping," She started, giggling at the thought. Then, smiling over at Claude, she continued. "I spend most of the time working on our farm though. Dad always makes it fun, and we have a good time, while making sure there's always food on the table."

The group made their way across the fields in silence for a few moments before Carrie continued. "We sell vegetables in the marketplace, which keeps us in a house, and we raise chickens to sell, too."

A sound off in the distance interrupted Carrie and made Claude stop. "Hm. Knew I'd forgotten something important. I guess we will make it to Lindblum quickly." Without warning, he suddenly changed his direction, heading off towards a forest in the distance. Celes caught up to him, confusion on her face.

"What do you mean?" she questioned. He smiled at her, his jovial nature overlooking her confusion. "Why walk when you can ride?" he asked, quickening his pace. She nodded, her eyes starting to lighten with understanding. "So, you intend…"

His smile grew to a grin. "It's either that or a goblin," he replied (which caused Carrie to flinch, he noted with some amusement.) Celes nodded, agreeing silently.

* * *

An hour later, with chocobos underneath them, the three were riding at top speed towards the cliffs of Lindblum. Carrie was giggling in absolute glee (she apparently loved chocobos), while Claude and Celes were more subdued; Claude was in the lead, with Celes and Carrie just behind. As the cliffs loomed closer, Claude slowed down to match his speed with Celes'. Then, he looked over at her.

"I want to ask you something," he started, then continued before she could respond. "People have been hearing about weird things happening in Alexandria for a few months now. Troop build up, an increase in the Mist fiends in the lower areas of the Alexandrian Province. Even the play, it sure seemed like there were a few more soldiers on site than is normally acceptable. Level with me like we're both human beings. What's going on?"

Celes glanced over at him, and for the first time he noticed the troubled storm brewing in her eyes. On the other side of her, even Carrie looked a little worried. She finally looked over to Claude. "You didn't hear this from me. This is the rumor mill and my own personal experience. But, a few months back, Queen Brahne welcomed a new advisor into the castle; and within days General Beatrix was ordered to begin training our troops, though never given reason as to why."

Claude's eyes narrowed, and Carrie's concern seemed to grow. "Do you think she intends to attack Lindblum?" Claude asked, to which Celes' shook her head violently. "No. It'd be suicide to attack Lindblum or Burmecia. Lindblum's airships would make any attempt on Lindblum suicidal. Burmecia… I can't see that happening, either. Burmecia's resources are a heavy boon for Alexandria. I hope that she wouldn't order us to attack them either."

They rode on in silence for a few moments before Carrie spoke. "B-but what if she does?"

"It won't be pretty."

A half hour later, they were riding up the path that guided travelers from the Mist filled lower regions to the upper regions above the Mist. Carrie had a while back resumed her giggling; a show of how much she truly enjoyed the bird she was riding. Her mood had actually brightened the other two; the early talk forgotten for the moment.

Because of the Mist, none of them saw the figure watching them. His black hair was covered partly by a crimson hairband. His face was pale, almost as light as Celes' own. He was adorned with a long jacket, fastened together by large silver buttons.

He chuckled quietly as Carrie's humming and giggling met his ears. And without a sound, he began leaping from ledge to ledge, never missing a single step; a single beat. And the only thing he left in his wake was disturbed dust.

If any of the group had noticed the him... none said a word of it.

One person, however, unrelated to the group noticed him… and his eyes narrowed angrily.

* * *

_Far too long for this chapter to get uploaded… this is a difficult story for me to write though. I'm going to try to get on an update schedule for it though._

_Til next chapter._


	14. Fire and Ice: Ch XII: Enlightenment

**The Runic Legacy**

Part I: Fire and Ice

**Chapter XII: Forced Enlightenment**

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* * *

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The tavern in the outer edge of the industrial district was abuzz with activity, yet strangely quiet. Conversations could be barely heard over the sound of his own loud thoughts, which suited him just fine. He was troubled with them, but more so troubled over the person they involved. A man in his line of work could afford few friends, and the subject of his thoughts; ne, the rumors he had heard was one of such friends.

His travel-worn black netch-leather gloves were sitting next to his glass, for a moment allowing himself to slip out of the persona he had to carry with him every moment, and the black jacket that matched it was sitting on the back of his chair. He allowed himself this luxury; he wasn't sure he'd get it again anytime soon.

The stupid woman had gotten herself into something, he surmised from the rumors he was hearing. He was sure that she knew that, so what he had to tell her would not shock her anymore than it should have. And after the message he'd received from her…

He sighed aloud. Why she'd asked him to look into this, he'd never know, unless she decided to enlighten him, which was unlikely. His investigation had turned over some information, and a few people weren't happy he was looking for it. But they knew what others knew. He wasn't the best in his field, but he was damn good; good enough to protect himself, and good enough to be useful to them if the price was high enough.

He assumed that's what the woman next to him was trying to convince him of.

"Mister Baccarant, the rewards are endless should you decide to take this on. The possibilities for contracts alone will keep you settled for years to come. If half of the contracts we have available are finished, you could retire comfortably," the woman noted. Aikon Baccarant chuckled, but made no movement to look at her directly.

Through his peripheral vision, he noted her pale skin which put her birthplace probably in the capital city of Alexandria. Her light (almost white) silver hair was brilliant, and her eyes were the color of the sea; she was truly a being of beauty. She bore the look of the traveling mercenary; worn knee high light brown travelling boots, with mildly faded purple pants. Below her forest green overcoat, a grey shirt poked out.

"Not interested."

She leaned in closer, a fragrant aroma of honey surrounding her and coating her voice. "Did I mention that you've been asking some very dangerous questions, questions that are likely to get you disposed of?" she asked him quietly, the threat evident. He turned to look her in the eye. "I told you, I'm not interested in anything dealing with the Brotherhood. It's not my style; I work alone. You can threaten me, but it isn't going to help you."

She placed one of her gloved hands on his arm, and he took note of the brown fabric texture. Definitely a mercenary, he thought. "Aikon Baccarant… you are quite courageous. I hope to work with you someday, if that courage doesn't get you killed."

The female mercenary stood up, and as she began to move away, he wrapped his hand around her arm. "So, you know so much about me, and I can't even know your last name, Cecilia?" he questioned, the hint of a smirk on his lips. Her head tilted to the right, before a tiny smile crossed her lips. "If we ever work together, ask me again."

"Cecilia" made to move again, only to notice the door to the tavern open. Her eyes widened in recognition before she looked over her shoulder. "You wouldn't be asking questions for her… would you?" she probed. His response was to pick up the untouched lager in front of him and bring it to his lips. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… that's too bad… I was really hoping we could be friends…"

Without another word, she walked away from him, pushing past the newcomer to the tavern with a very quiet, almost amused 'Excuse me…' Aikon sighed quietly, hoping that the clandestine meeting he'd just had, and the clandestine meeting he was about to have weren't the two largest mistakes of his life.

* * *

Across the city, Claude Beoulve and Carrie Tremont moved towards a clock tower in the theatre district of Lindblum. Carrie looked around her as they walked, her eyes taking in the sights and sounds of the massive city. "There are so many people here! How do you deal with it all?" she asked excitedly. Claude shrugged as they came in sight of the front of the tower that they'd been heading to. "After you've lived here as long as I have, you just get used to it, I suppose. I did, though I suppose it helps that Tantalus has all of us in and out of Lindblum on a regular basis," he replied as he opened the clock tower's door.

Peering his head inside, he called out to anyone who might be around. "Hey, guys! Got a lady comin' in; put your pants back on!" No one replied back, and he allowed her inside the cluttered Tantalus hideout. She gazed around the room, even taken in by its simplicity as she spoke. "Do you ever get overwhelmed by living here, in a place with so many people surrounded by a city with more people than you could ever deal with?" she asked.

He looked to her before heading over and taking a seat in a nook in the wall. "I usually find it comforting, to be honest. It's nice to have a sense of normalcy, and Lindblum gives me that. I suppose I've never known anything different though, so that isn't surprisingly. You just learn how to get through it, learn where to watch yourself, discover where the best deals are to be had, and soon you discover you're getting by. That's enough for me."

She moved to sit next to him, and he graciously moved aside to allow her. "When you put it that way, Claude, it sounds so easy!" she said, her eternal smile reminding Claude how innocent this young girl was. It was refreshing to see that in the world that they lived in; filled with corruption and deceit and… he forced the thoughts out of his mind. For now, he'd focus on Carrie.

"So, there's a bistro down the way. If you're hungry, I could take you there."

If possible, Carrie's face became even brighter, and her smile was luminescent.

* * *

Moments after Cecilia had left, Aikon had moved to a corner booth, knowing his next "guest" would want some semblance of privacy. And no sooner had he sat down, appeared a woman in a black cloak who sat down in front of him without a word. The darkness of the booth clearly afforded her the privacy she needed, as she lowered her hood a moment later.

Aikon sighed, a seemingly recurring trend that day. He had hoped beyond all hope that Celes Chere would wait for him to send her a message back regarding the "research" she'd had him doing. Apparently, however, she was impatient… which was why she sat in front of him at that moment.

He'd received a note by courier earlier in that day, telling him to expect her. The only problem was, that courier had been the woman he'd just been talking to; Cecilia. The same Cecilia who had kept being a nuisance during his questioning and investigation that Celes had asked him to conduct. He hadn't liked it, but…

"Aikon, I apologize for the short notice. If you've paid attention to any rumors coming from Alexandria in the last few days, you'll know that things have been interesting in the last week. I know you don't like to communicate in person with me, but I hope you'll forgive me the offense," she started off, quietly. He nodded, before pulling out a couple sheets of paper and sliding them across to her. She began to look over them as he spoke.

"I started looking into the Brotherhood of the Wolf, by your request when I received your letter two weeks ago. I don't know where you heard of this organization, nor do I care to know, but let me be clear here. This is a wasp's nest, woman. I've been threatened with death for mentioning it," he started and she nodded.

A few weeks previous, the guard had caught someone trying to break into the castle. His intentions were never discovered, but through interrogation, Celes had discovered that he worked for a "Brotherhood of the Wolf." He gave her no further information, and at last check had been rotting in prison cell because he refused to eat. Beatrix had looked over the information he had given, and then assigned Celes to try and find out what she could about the organization. Celes, in turn, had contacted Aikon and asked for a favor.

"It confirms some beliefs that I had. You weren't able to get anything else?" she asked, leaning back in her seat. Aikon shook his head. "You mean beyond threats directed against you and me? Very little. Apparently, they deal in high-gil contracts, and the only reason I know that is because they tried to contract me," he said, pausing. Then, he leaned forward and continued.

"I'm not going to tell you your business, but this isn't a nest you want to stir up. They have people everywhere watching. I was intercepted every time I even mentioned the name of that organization. They are quite private, and I assume they want to stay that way. It's not worth the time, so just leave it alone," he finished, lifting his mug of lager to his lips.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "I would if I could, but I'm under orders. I need to find out who they are, and why they tried to infiltrate our castle… poorly, I might add," she muttered quietly, leaning forward and folding her hands in front of her face. Aikon closed his eyes, if only so she couldn't see him rolling them. "Look, woman. If there was ever a time to disobey orders, now would be it. Or at least lay low for a bit, and maybe they'll get off our trail."

She looked at him for a moment. "Perhaps you're right. I have more pressing issues to deal with at the moment. Do me a favor though?" she asked him. He shrugged. "As always, depends on the favor." She nodded to him, acknowledging their normal manner of negotiating. "If you hear something important about this organization, get a message to me. I won't ask you to ask more questions about it, but see if that nest you stirred up gives you any more information, would you?"

He glanced around the tavern, looking for Cecilia to make sure she wasn't listening while making sure she'd actually left the tavern this time. The mercenary wasn't in the room, and Aikon turned back to Celes. "Fine. How am I to find you?"

Her face gained a mischevious look. "You'll find a way, friend," she stated as she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "You always do." Their business complete, she placed her hood over her head and began to walk away. A second later, his hand on her shoulder stopped her and she turned to look at him. A moment passed before he placed a pouch in her hand. Looking inside of it, her eyes widened, and she looked at him questioningly.

"It ticks me off, but I owe you for my success. Consider it travelling reimbursement to come and see me if nothing else."

Before she could reply, he had moved away from her and she looked in the pouch once more.

In the pouch was gil in the amount of roughly ten thousand drakes.

* * *

_This chapter came rough, however, once it was discovered, it wrote itself. I was going to continue, but it just felt right to end it here for now. Added some stuff to the plot that now I hope is interesting you. I suppose we will see._

'_Til next chapter…_


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